Joles Family

To the Farm

2011-04-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Born in the Suburbs of Chicago....Who knew she was a country girl!

Looking at the baby chickens.

Just went and got eggs from the chickens.

Denver is so sleepy, he actually did fall asleep out in the snow in my arms.

Savannah B. and Savannah R. waiting for their horse ride.

Bare back horse ride.

Savannah B. learning how to hold on.

"Come 'ere horsey!"

Got to feed him, pure joy!

Denver and mama bundled up, snowing and it was almost May!

Savannah riding the horse named Robert.

Savannah B and Savannah R looking at the cows.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

Savannah had her first Easter Egg Hunt. I thought having 18 eggs to find (6 from us & 12 from Granny and Papa) would be overwhelming. But quite the contrary. She would have searched 5 or more times for the same eggs just for the sport of it! It was a great time watching her hunt!

Just a fun one of my little Denver!

Denver is getting to be a big boy! He is eating at the table in his highchair and he is eating rice cereal and now veggies! I seem to be the only one who can get him to eat all his food. So even when someone else starts him, I am always finishing. He will warm up to it.

Easter Video of Savannah's Egg Hunt. Sorry, silly me it is sideways.

Fun with the kids!

2011-04-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Savannah and Denver have been interacting more and more. It brings me so much joy!

Savannah wore this last summer as a dress! Works this season as a shirt! Love versitility!
Helping mama make brownies! What a good helper!
Savannah's artwork. She dressed up the pig all on her own!
Denver hanging out with mama while Savannah naps.
Jess found Denver like this in his crib after his nap on Saturday.

Denver started rice cereal during Spring break, this is some of his first bites.

We have moved and the kids are still growing!

2011-03-17T11:06:00.001-07:00

We are settled for the most part in our new place in Redmond, OR. It is a process with Jess working 5 days a week and some half days on Saturday. And with 2 kids, 2 and 5 months. We will keep working on it. And by the time we are settled we will be moving again, I am sure.

Denver is rolling over and rolling over again. I really have to watch where I put him. He is healed of all ear infections I believe. We go back in to double check tomorrow. The reason I believe he is finally healed after 4 weeks of treatments, is because he is finally sleeping 10 to 12 hours! I think he may have done this sooner if mama had not been waking him to feed at 10:30.

Savannah is growing like a weed. Always been near 100% for height, she is already starting to wear 4T's.

We are plugged into our new church, Jess helping out with the youth and we are involved in a small group. It has been a blessing to find that there are brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world! It is what true family is all about!

Daddy's little helper! (We were hanging a mirror above the fireplace of the new place.)

Denver is 5 months old and has been wearing 6 month old clothes since he was 3 months old. He too is 92% for height.

He is rolling over all on his own, front to back, and back to front.

Savannah and Denver are playing more and more together. You can tell Denver wants to get up and run with Savannah.

Some of my Favorite Photos...and Go Bears!

2011-01-21T16:11:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my favorite photos from the past month. Denver wanted to represent his home town of Lake Forest, Illinois....(where the Bears Practice) and give a Touch down! Gotta love the spirit!

Savannah really loves her Granny!

ABC's

2011-01-20T10:26:00.000-08:00

I have been working with Savannah for quite sometime on her ABC's. But last night I let her go to sleep with her "computer" (a leap frog ABC learner). And after about 2 hours of hearing her play with it in the middle of the night! We took it away. But look what 2 hours of ABCing will do for a 2 year old!

Savannah turned 2 years old!!!

2011-01-19T17:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Savannah! She turned 2 years old on December 30th! Hard to believe! She is as sweet as ever and twice as fun! We love her more and more every day!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-19T17:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went! With all we have had going the last 3 months. I can't believe it! We have moved across country. Moved in with the in-laws. Had a baby. Jess switched jobs (same company). Wow! Was there Christmas somewhere in there? Oh, by the way, we found a place of our own are moving again! More on that later. Here is proof that Christmas really did happen. Good thing I took pictures, I may not have remembered if I didn't!

Quick trip to IKEA.... what was I thinking of going with a 2 month old. That trip didn't last long.
Great to visit with Sarah and Michelle. We are missing Michelle in the picture though we got our youngest girls! Ellie, Savannah and Emmy.
Bath time in Nanna's sink.
Savannah, me and Wrigley in front of the fire.

Jess and Denver hanging out.
And of course nap time with Grandpa!

Savannah opening presents on Christmas day.
This is one of the sweet little faces I get to look at every day!
Denver and Savannah. How she loves her little brother!

Denver at 8 weeks old!

2010-12-12T14:08:00.000-08:00

He was 12lbs 3 oz at his 6 week doctor appt. He started smiling at 7 weeks old. He has been having some bad gas that causes him stomache aches that had been keeping him up during his naps. However I have cut out milk, yogurt, citrus, caffine (was already cut out), and now chocolate. And that seems to have done the trick. He is now doing GREAT!! He is taking about 3 2 hour naps a day and sleeping anywhere between 6 and 8 hours during the night. Each day has been getting a little better!

Photo 1: Jess and I went to watch the Ducks vs Beavers game at Tower Theater in downtown Bend. Great time!
Photo 2: Savannah loves holding her little brother!
Photo 3: Denver Jess Joles at week 7. Mama loves that smile! Who thinks he looks like Jess?
Photo 4: Denver smiling! Love it!

Denver Jess Joles

2010-10-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Denver Jess Joles born 10/18/10 at 12:23pm. Mama and baby are both doing great. I only have a few more seconds to post. I need to sleep while baby is sleeping. We are still at Lake Forest Hospital until Thursday morning. He was 8 lbs 7 oz and 20 inches long.

Weekend Activities

2010-09-13T12:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday we went to Edwards Apple Orchard and Savannah got to see the animals at the farm. She loved it! We bought a talking puppet "Lamb Chops" from the store. With the grip she had on that puppet, I think it would have been pay for it or steal it. So, we paid for it.

Friday night: Jess and I got free tickets, parking and tailgating at the Brewers/Cubs Game in Milwaukee, WI. Cubs win!!

I am nearly 9 months pregnant in this picture! I was having Braxton Hicks contractions almost all night! While walking to the car, I heard a lady whisper "she is going into labor". hahahaha. No, just some bad Braxton Hicks Contractions!

Denver 2010 & My favorite ultra sound picture of jr

2010-08-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

I have had some requests that I update my blog. I admit I have been a little lazy about it and a little tired. But here it is. Updated pictures. Savannah is almost 19 months old and is a little chatter box! I understand a majority of what she says, but she still like to throw in some baby talk now and again. She is quite my little helper. She loves to re-arrange my kitchen and bathrooms. I found my measuring cups with my kitchen towels and shampoos in my laundry basket this week. If I could only get her to do some dishes and laundry! (later perhaps)

Denver Children Museum

Now that is what I call staring down the bull!

Me feeling and looking very pregnant! Still have 3 months to go in this picture too. I was just starting my 3rd trimester. Well Savannah was 9 lbs 8 oz..... so chances are.

Jr (we can't decide on a name yet...we have 8 weeks to decide) at 24 weeks in this photo. Next ultra sound is in 5 days, hopefully we will get another good picture from him. He is measuring long according to the tech. They think he may be a little early. But who really knows right. They come when they come. At least we know we will get a tax write off for sure this year with this one. Savannah was way too close coming in on Dec 30th!

Baby Photos long over due!

2010-04-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

Joles baby #2 photos!! I think many of you already know. We are due 10-22-10. 2 days after Jess's birthday! I am feeling fine, as long as I get my nap in everyday and eat when hungry. Thankfully this time around, my eating seems normal to me. With Savannah I wanted to eat 2 full course meals every meal time!!! And my weight gain reflected it and so did her plump little cheeks when she came out! This time around I have only gained 5 lbs during the first trimester. Which I am quite happy about (gained nearly 20 with Savannah...hate to say it).

So far the heart beat is around upper 150's and lower 160's. Jess is convinced this one is a boy. We will try and find out in another 6 1/2 weeks. We will keep you updated!

With Savannah, I craved everything cheese....toasted cheese, mac n cheese, cheesy eggs, or my fav mid night snack cheese and fruit snacks. With Joles #2 I crave bacon. I am perfecting how to cook the plumpest longest bacon. I keep cooked bacon on hand for my before bedtime bacon and cheddar sandwich. How I haven't gained more than 5 lbs is probably because every day after at least one of my meals, I will loose my dinner...lunch...breakfast. So I guess my before bedtime snack makes up for the missed meal.

Enjoy the pics!

Tricia and Savannah's Trip to Charleston

2010-03-12T14:07:00.001-08:00

Savannah and I went to visit aunt Lindsay in Charleston, SC. As you can see the weather was great the the company was better!

The 3 of us at the Isle of Palms, SC beach.
It was a little breezy, so I tucked SB in my sweatshirt.
Savannah loved her aunt Lindsay!
Savannah loved loved loved these trees. She kept saying look! look! and pointing at them!
This house sleeps 22 people and rents for 13,000 a week minimum during the peak of summer!
Nice that they put up road signs to direct Savannah! hahaha
This picture doesn't even fully capture how bright the colors were. The house to the right had a bright pink roof and the house to the left was bright pink too. Only in Charleston.
Loved these trees at the Boone Plantation. Where the Notebook was filmed.
Entrance to the Boone Plantation.
King Street, downtown Charleston. Carriage rides everywhere. Every building was different and it was lined with palm trees.
Savannah on Princess Street!
Savannah and Tricia at Folly Beach.
Aunt Lindsay and Savannah at Folly Beach. Savannah loved the sea shells! She held on to them for a good 2 hours.

Savannah and Tricia swinging on the dock downtown.

Thanks Aunt Lindsay for such a good time!

Skunk

2010-02-26T09:07:00.000-08:00

Watch Savannah's reaction when Jess says "Skunk"!

SB dancing

2010-02-22T13:08:00.000-08:00

Almost walking

2010-02-16T16:43:00.000-08:00

Shedd Aquarium

2010-02-16T16:25:00.001-08:00

For Valentines Day weekend, we went to the Shedd Aquarium to take advantage of the Buy 1 Get 1 free entrance free. We actually got 2 free since they don't charge for children under 3.

Here is a photo of us eating lunch with a great view of the skyline of Chicago behind us.

Wild Reef- Sharks
Savannah and Jess looking at a blow fish.
Jess and Savannah. She loved the penguins!

Savannah and Tricia in front of a replica of the largest Amazon fish. It could eat us both for lunch! Makes me think of Jonah and the great fish!
Savannah and Jess in the Amazon at the Shedd Aquarium.

13 months and counting

2010-02-02T14:51:00.001-08:00

SB has done so much growing in the last few months. Definately worth mentioning. She has a handful of words that she says:

Look
mama
dada
nanna
dog
baby
please (sounds like peas)
duck
and sometimes she will say "quack-quack"

Also there are some cool things that she has been doing lately. Of course she has been waving and clapping for a long time. Here is what I mean by cool things.

Hugs her dolls and stuffed animals and the dog
points her her nose when asked "Where is your nose?"
Brushes her hair with her hair brush (not very well, but she know what to do with it!)
Pretends to wash her hands after she gets a diaper change
Pretends to talk on the phone. She has a toy phone (as you can see in one of the photos, but she will use other objects to choose to talk into. hahaha)s
she gives love pats to us and to the dog

Here are some of my recent photos.

We are Bronco fans....but Bear shirts are cheap around here! It is hard not to be da Bears fan when you live near Chicago.

Couldn't resist the pig tails!

Facing forward in her big girl car seat now. I do put socks and shoes on the girl. Can't get her to keep them on!
She is a big helper. Loves to help with dishes, laundry, and cleaning her room too!
You wouldn't know that she actually had a fever in this pic. I can even get smiles out of her when she doesn't feel well.
SB talking on her play phone.

Sb and her Dog

2010-01-24T17:08:00.000-08:00

Listen for SB to say Dog.

Savannah's First Birthday

2010-01-15T09:19:00.001-08:00

Savannah was lucky enough to have 2 birthday parties. One with each family. It is truly amazing how the first year has flown by, and amazing how much she has grown and changed this last year!

Party Number 1: With Fox Family

Savannah with Aunt Mimi (aka Michelle)

Savannah was seriously annoyed by the hat. But mama had to do it!

The paparazzi....
Happy Birthday to Savannah......

More please!
Birthday Party Number 2: with Joles/Schwarz/Patterson Family and Nanna and Grandpa Fox came too.

Mmmmmm... butter cream and marion berry

Eloise and Savannah
Made in China?
Savannah and Aunt Amanda
Exhausted from all the Parties!

Savannah's First Christmas

2010-01-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

Savannah's First Christmas was a blast. I have tons of photos for you, because I think photos tell the best story!

Jess and Savannah on the airplane ride home. We are all exhausted!

Ellie (left) and Savannah (right).
Jess and Savannah Dec 09
Eloise (left), Tricia, and Savannah (right)
Sophia (left) and Savannah (right)
Sophia (left) Ben (Jess's best man) and Savannah (right)
Savannah
Savannah (left) playing with Sophia (right)
Ben with Sophia and Jess with Savannah
Pam (aka Granny)
Aunt Amanda and Savannah
Savannah, Papa Karl and cousin Grace
Sam, Grace and Savannah (good luck trying to get them to face the camera at the same time!)
Savannah with cousin Sam
Aunt Novalee, Uncle Jeff, cousin Tyler and cousin Grace
Great Uncle Dick, Uncle Jeff and Aunt Novalee
Cousins: Silas, Brady, Logan and Tyler
Savannah at the Joles/Patterson/Schwarz Christmas
Jess showing Savannah her new book
Aunt Lindsay and Uncle Jerod Christmas 09
Tricia, Jess and Savannah
Ginny (aka Nanna) and Rick (aka Grandpa)

Uncle Jerod playing with Savannah

Wrigley and Savannah at home "doing" Christmas

Surprise!!!!

2009-12-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Jess Savannah and I flew to Oregon for a quick trip and a surprise party for Jess's mom. She had people that flew in from all over the US. Pennsylvania, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois (us). She was completely surprised and we had a great time. Here are the photos if you want to take a peek!

http://imagevault.smugmug.com/AW/Friends/Pam-60th/10596890_vuFy6/1/736628988_Bo6ND#736628988_Bo6ND

So many reasons to give Thanks!

2009-11-30T19:16:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in Rockford, IL with Jess's Grandma, Aunt, Uncle, Dad, Step-mom, sister and other family. Savannah had a great time with her Great Grandma's dog, Sugar. And the day after Thanksgiving we went down to the Woodstock Square for the big lighting of the square. It is beautiful! We had dinner in the Irish Pub on the Square, stood in a long line of people waiting for Starbucks and watched the lighting of the square and listened to carolers. It was great fun!

Watching Savannah grow!

2009-11-23T14:40:00.000-08:00

Savannah is almost 11 months and we have watched her grow up so much this year. She is doing the army crawl, she is eating our food, even her clothes are looking like big girl clothes! I wanted to show you a few of my recent photos.

Baa! Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T07:36:00.000-07:00

Savannah really is not so sure what to think of her Halloween costume. But it is oh so fun for me to dress her up! And perfect since today is cold and rainy. I took this picture of her while she was in Oregon after we went to the Pumpkin Patch with Nanna and Aunt Mimi (Michelle). We are going "trick or treating" to a couple Country Insurance Offices today. Just to show off the great costume! Baa! Baa!

Trip to Oregon

2009-10-24T08:58:00.000-07:00

Savannah and I (Tricia) went to Oregon for a much needed visit with friends and family. It was Savannah's first time to Oregon and our first time flying with out Jess. It went well and we had a great time! Can't wait to come back for Christmas!

Uncle Jerod & Savannah at the beach.

Savannah, Nanna and I at the beach.

Savannah & Grandpa Fox at the Oregon Coast in Lincoln City.

Savannah hanging out with Granny & Papa Schwarz. (Jess's mom and step dad.)

Savannah hanging out with her cousin Silas. Remington is in the background.

Savannah and Papa Karl.

Savannah and Granny. Cousins are trying to toughen her up, I guess. Her wearing a Fox skater hat.

Hanging out with the Lucas's and Bains. Met my friends Ellie & Annie Lucas!

Savannah(left) playing with friends: Ellie Prunk & Emmy Meyers

Savannah (left) playing with friends: Elloise Adams & Sophia Thompson. Savannah cannot crawl or walk as of left. I am assisting her.

Hanging out after breakfast with Uncle Jerod.

With Nanna Fox at the Pumpkin Patch

Hanging out with Grandpa Fox while Nanna is at work! Hurry home Nanna we are having so much fun!

Taking a bath in Grandpa & Nanna Fox's sink! What a view! Hahaha!

We had a great time! Great to visit with all the friends and family!

Settling into the new house

2009-09-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

We are slowly getting settled in. The house is actually very livable. And now we can park in the garage too! We had to hang 8 outdoor chairs on the wall of the garage that did not stack or fold up in order to do this. But as soon as winter hits, it will be well worth it. Thankfully this townhouse has a large loft, which we are using as an office and storage area. We still have many
boxes that we have not touched yet, and some we may never while living at this house. This townhouse is 2300 square feet smaller than the house we just moved from. You can imagine how much unusable space we had at our last house that we had to heat, air condition, and clean. I look forward to a lower gas and electricity bill and already a much more manageable cleaning area. And since it is a townhouse, no yard work! Yahoo!!!!!! It also means no yard to ourselves. But, for now, it is a GREAT trade off! Besides, there is a lot of common yard area for Wrigley to run. And Jess went from a 40 minute commute down to a 4 minute commute. That is better than his commute when living in Normal, IL, while working as a trainer in the corporate office, of 7 minutes!
Woodstock, IL is famous for the town square featured in the movie Groundhog Day. It is full of great activities. We have already gone down to the farmers market a couple times and will go again this weekend to get a Frapacino and walk the farmers market booths and see the art festival that will be going on this weekend.
Would love to hear from all of you. I have access to a computer this week! Next month we will be looking to buy a new home computer.

Savannah holding the dog's leash in the new front yard.

Savannah fell asleep on her morning walk. Too close to nap time I would guess.

The family photo in front of the new townhouse rental.

A new house calls for a new bath tub. If you squeeze the beak, it quacks too. It was a gift from my 3rd grade teacher. Thanks Mrs. Rasmussen! She loves it!

Visit from Grandpa and Grandma Joles and Great Grandma Nelson

2009-09-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

1 week later, we got a visit from Grandpa and Grandma Joles, Jess's dad and step mom. We all drove over to see Savannah's Great Grandma and Grandpa Nelson in Rockford. We got to visit with Grandpa and Grandma Joles over the Labor day weekend. It was sure good to see them.

Savannah with Grandpa Joles.

Savannah with Great Grandma Nelson and her dog Sugar. Savannah got lots of kisses from Sugar on her toes and she giggled and giggled.

Visit from Granny and Papa to help us move

2009-09-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

1 week back from our trip from Arizona we moved to a new rental townhouse. Granny and Papa Schwarz, Jess's mom and step dad, had planned a trip out to visit and it happened to fall on the time when we had to move. They were great sports about helping and we got it all done! We also went to a Chicago Cubs game and it was Savannah's first trip to Wrigley Field. It was a great time. Here are some of the highlights of those 10 days.

Jess and Savannah walking to Wrigley Field.

Granny, Papa, Jess and Savannah walking to Wrigley Field. I had to take some photos against this brick wall covered in Ivy. It is exactly what Wrigleyville is all about!

Jess, Tricia and Savannah in front of Wrigley Field. Looks the same as it did when it opened!

Moving Day. Sorry the photo is sideways. Still so much fun!

At the end of a long moving day! Wrigley worked oh so hard!

Papa Karl and Savannah the day before the move.

Granny and Papa and Savannah in front of the new townhouse rental.

Summary of Arizona

2009-09-15T08:46:00.001-07:00

Every year Jess has worked as an agent or manager he has had an opportunity to earn a vacation based on his performance at work. This year, the trip was in Scottsdale, Arizona. Grandpa and Nanna Fox decided to bank in on their time share and meet us in Arizona for the week. And my aunt Carol, my mom's sister, flew to Oregon and made the drive down with my parents. We had a great time. It of course went too fast. We swam, Jess and my dad played golf. We did some site seeing around downtown Scottsdale and just hung out at the resorts. One night Country sponsored a big dinner and we all ate well, listened to music and there was a large room designated to carnival type games for the kids. The view of the golf courses and mountains were spectacular! We had a blast!

Grandpa Fox and Savannah in Arizona!

Nanna and Savannah in Arizona. Savannah in her 2 piece suit. Love it!

Nanna and Aunt Carol in Arizona.

Country Banquet: Savannah and I

Savannah: Gotta wear those hats in Arizona!

Family Photo in Arizona!

Hanging out at the Kierland Resort.

Daddy Daughter Photo! Gotta love it!

Where has August gone?

2009-08-26T20:48:00.000-07:00

Before the month is over I had to post. We went to Arizona for a week. Nanna and Grandpa Fox drove and met us down there. We had a great time on vacation. We have also moved! Granny and Papa Schwarz are here and they helped us move. We are all headed to a Cubs game tomorrow! Go cubs! We have some great pictures of Arizona that I will post soon. I am currently working on unpacking and we have also decided to paint the downstairs. And it would be nice to get the garage in order so we can park both cars in the garage. Ugggh.

Jess and Sb in the Airplane.

SB in Arizona in her cute sundress from her Aunt Lindsay! Thanks Auntie!

Granny & SB in the new house. We are buried in boxes!

A NEW Car.....

2009-08-04T06:26:00.001-07:00

Okay, more like a steering wheel. It honks too! And Savannah is already asking for the keys!

I went garage "sailing", as Granny Schwarz calls it, this week. And got many things, here are a few of the things I got. The toys you see below totaled $8.50! The stand up kitchen has all kinds of sounds that it makes. It has a phone that rings, a timer that ticks, water sounds for the sink, toast that pops, eggs that sizzle, popcorn that pops, and soup that boils. Yes, Jess and I had to test it all out! So much fun for adults too! :) We also test drove the car, it zooms, screeches to a halt, shifts and honks. It is a smooth ride! :)

New dress from Ron & Holly! So adorable! Thanks! She loves it!

Daddy Daughter Day

2009-08-01T19:40:00.001-07:00

Since I have been continuing to work, but only on Saturday for 3 hours, we call it Daddy Daughter Day. There is bath time, nap time, play time, feeding time (where daddy gives her vanilla pudding with bananas or pears and squash- only the favorite foods on daddy daughter day! Leave the greens for mom during the week!) I was able to take a video before I left last week of the start of Daddy Daughter Day. You can see that they really miss me when I am gone.

When we move to Woodstock however, I am going to stop working because the drive time will be an hour one way. And since it is our only day to do whatever we want as a family, it will be great to spend it together doing something fun together. Woodstock's historic square has a lot of happenings that we are looking forward to. Farmers markets, concerts, lighting the square festival, and the famous Ground Hog Day Festival are just some of the fun things we are looking forward to.

There were also a couple other photos of SB having fun! She is my silly B!

The latest....

2009-07-27T18:31:00.000-07:00

So as many of you now know, we are moving. But many of you don't know we now have a place to move to. We knew God would provide a roof over our head, we just did not know where or when. We are moving to Woodstock, the town where Groundhog day was filmed. And to think I grew up in Boring, Oregon moved to Normal, IL and will be moving to a town where everyday is the same...... I can't get a break!

We will be minutes from Jess's office in Woodstock and minutes from the cute little town square where a majority of the movie takes place. We are excited to have cheaper rent and for Jess to have a shorter commute.

We are 2 weeks away from the company trip to Arizona! Anyone want to join us! We will be at the pool!

Here is Jess's latest favorite photo of SB in her little pink hat:

We bought this high chair at a garage sale last summer it attaches to tables and counter tops and you can take it with you to restaurants or anywhere. I love it at home too!

As promised, these are SB's first Nike's that we got on sale and then 50% off thanks to Aunt Sarah's discount! Because of the great steal, we had to buy them! They are so darn cute!

Current Photos of SB

2009-07-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

If you look closely, you can see her two front teeth coming in. Do you see how much she is growing! Crazy!

Also, listen to the Sermon on June 21st here: http://www.newlifevh.org/Sermons.html

It is the Sunday Sermon after the 2009 Conference which is also a good listen! After you listen, post a comment so I know you heard it! It is worth listening too!

6 months highlights

2009-07-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

SB turned 6 months and has had her 6 month doctor check up and she is growing fast! Faster than most apparently!

Weight: 16 lbs 9.5 oz or 80 %

Height: 29 inches or 120%

Food: All Fruits, all Veggies, and baby cereal. She starts Chicken and Turkey in 3 weeks! And she is also still on breast milk.

Activity: Rolling over, back and forth all the time. Sitting up on her own and able to look around without falling over! While on her stomach, she can get on her knees, but has not put 2 & 2 together (hands and feet) and figured out you can use all 4! Whatever she finds goes in her mouth but she still favors her thumb most.

Mouth: She says "da da" but has no idea what it means. She says it all day long in fact. And it is always in pairs... "da da......da da.......da da". I think it is adorable. She has one tooth that has broken through and the doctor said 3 more are on the way. When I mean broken through, I mean you can see it starting to come in.

Sleeping: She is down to 2-3 naps per day. Saturday while I was out, she slept 3 hours for Jess! What a great nap!

Vacation:

August: We have a work related trip to Arizona. Grandpa and Nana Fox will be driving down to stay with us.

October: SB and I, Tricia, will be flying to Oregon from the 6th to the 13th to visit anyone and everyone.

December: Jess, SB, and I will be coming home for Christmas this year. We got a free companion ticket through the Alaska credit card deal. (We don't use the credit card, yet they send us a free companion ticket every year for having it!!!) We will be there Dec 24th to Jan 2nd. I am so excited to celebrate SB's first birthday Dec 30th, with family.

(Side note: Suzanne, can you authorize me for your blog?)

Call me Suzy or call me Crazy

2009-07-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

The way I make money, is by saving money. I started coupon shopping about 5 months ago and am saving tons of money by doing it. I get things for free all the time by shopping and earning bucks at Walgreens and CVS pharmacy. I have links to some great blogs on the right hand column of my page and I recommend checking out the links to learn how to shop these stores. And after 5 months of shopping, I am still learning their game. I also shop the ads in the paper, usually hitting one grocery store for the week, by shopping sales and with coupons. If I don't have a coupon and it is not on sale, it doesn't usually hit the cart. I am not brand specific, and that helps too! It takes time but saves us tons of money. I average 60% savings by doing this. I am striving for the 40-90% that the moms on the other blogs save. The stores I shop at don't double coupons, and that is a huge help to them.

I recommend buying the paper and check inside for a special offer to have the paper delivered to your door. Then do it! The Chicago Tribune is $1.00 per week for 3 papers (Sunday, Wednesday & Friday) and I save about $20-$30 per week in coupons. The Sunday paper has the coupons.

I started making Savannah's baby food this week. I figured it saved $2.00 in the 6 jars of carrots and I probably broke even on the peaches. But this way, I know what is in the food and over all I should save some money.

So, my question to you. Do you call me Suzy (Homemaker) or do you call me crazy? I am also looking for ideas on organizing coupons. As you can see I am bursting at the seams.

Our piece of the recession pie....

2009-06-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

The recession is effecting us all somehow. It may be the price of gas, the price of cheese (holy cow... ha, ha), lack of a job, the mortgage. For us, it is the house we live in. Our landlord is in the process of foreclosure and has our rental house on the market for a short sale. Having agreed, I am now showing the house 3-5 times per week. And like my mother, I cannot feel right about showing a dirty house. And since I watch all the sell your house shows, I also feel the house should be staged, especially in this competitive market. We had one realtor comment, "you are such good renters!" And for what, to be forced out earlier than we want. Don't get me wrong, we agree that the land lord has to do what he has to do, but even I scratch my head as to why I go to all the trouble.

The hard part is that land lords hear that we have a Great Dane and say no before we can even spit out that she is extremely friendly and sleeps 17 out of 24 hours. Literally!! As you can see in the photo above. It is one of her many "spots". Even my dad, who was sceptical about us getting such a large dog, recently told me, " people just don't know anything about Great Dane's". And it is so true. They are milder than any little dog I ever met. Lab's are more well known and are so much more hyper than a Great Dane. Give a dog a break.

So it sounds like the end of our lease may be it for us. August 31st. The other hard part of it is, we don't know how much longer we will be living in the Midwest and really did not want to sign another year lease. The Lord knows what is in store for us. Jess and I truly are excited to see how God is going to work. Every move we have had so far has been amazing to see how God has worked everything out! Either way, we know that the moving date is soon. Start collecting those boxes.

Open mouth......Insert foot & Happy Fathers day!

2009-06-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

Savannah just recently found her foot! And seems to love the taste of it! Now it is a regular occurrence to see her sucking on her toes! Silly girl! It is amazing how flexible babies are!

I put Savannah down to bed around 8pm and she is usually awake around 6am and talking in her room and ready for breakfast. I go and get her out of her crib and after a quick change I bring her in bed with me. Since I am not yet ready to fully get up, I nurse her in bed. We have gotten in a routine of this for quite some time. Now after SB has some warm milk, she will usually go right back to bed! Ahhhhhhhh! She will sleep as late as 11 am sometimes. I don't sleep in that long. But 9am... 9:30ish is fabulous! Wrigley is always in bed with us by 6am, so as Jess is getting ready for work, his girls are just getting back to bed. Sorry honey! I do all the housework for you though! No toilets, laundry or dishes for you!

This last week was our church's conference. And yet again, it was GREAT!!!! We had 3 pastors from all over come and preach the word. The sermons will be posted on our churches website. When they are, I will let you know. Take the time and listen to one or all of them. Amazing! The last day of the conference was Saturday, but they usually wrap it up on Sunday with a great message and a huge meal. So, needless to say, Jess and I have not gotten to officially celebrate fathers day yet. He had to go up to a managers meeting in Wisconsin and will be coming home tomorrow afternoon. He doesn't know it yet, but Rib eye's are on sale at Dominick's (aka Safeway). I will be heading to buy a couple for dinner tomorrow to celebrate a great new dad! I have been trying to teach SB "da da" I think she is still months away from it, but she is quite a talker and it is a part of her gibberish.

Thank you Jess for being a great dad. It really warms my heart to see you interact with your daughter! I love to see her smile wide for you. And it makes me so happy to see that when she is upset, you can calm her as well as I can. It means that she knows you well and loves you! And I hope you know that I love you too! XOXO Happy Fathers Day!

Aunt Lindsay came to visit the "nieces"

2009-06-14T06:49:00.001-07:00

Aunt Lindsay always talks about her two nieces. What she means is: Savannah and our dog Wrigley. Last summer, after Lindsay graduated from college, she lived with us for a couple months while she was studying for the final test with the state to become a nurse. It was great having her around while I was pregnant and exhausted! Last summer Wrigley sure enjoyed the company while Jess and I were at work. I don't know who was more excited to see each other: Lindsay to see Wrigley, or Wrigley to see Lindsay! (Since Lindsay has lived with us, she had to go and get her own Great Dane- Aspen, Wrigley's cousin, is now 7 months old. Our breeder is www.eastwooddanes.com )

Thanks for coming to visit Lindsay! We love you!

Other things that happened in May.

2009-05-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

Wrapping up the month of May.

Health: SB is officially 5 months old. She goes to her 5 month appointment next week. She got thrush a week and a half ago and she is on medicine. It has not stopped the thrush yet. But since we go in next week, I will talk with the doctor more next week.
Travel: SB went on her first air plane ride to Kansas City, Missouri this month. Her aunt Sarah Joles graduated from college. Jess promised 4 years ago that we would be there, and we were there. Savannah slept for both take offs! She slept the entire plane ride home. The drive from Kansas City to her graduation was 2 1/2 hours and she slept to and from Kansas City on the car ride! She is a great little traveler. Why do I even worry!
Fun things: Savannah had her first trip to the zoo. I think she was more interested in looking at the trees and sky then the wild animals. And I suppose after all, she does have a dog that appears larger than some of those animals. And Wrigley is much more entertaining than those sleepy animals in cages. (I am still working off the "baby fat" please ignore my photo. Wow! )
Learning new things: SB learned how to take her sock off. Great! The chasing of the socks games begin. She doesn't really wear shoes right now. So we have some time there. SB did get some new shoes while in Missouri, thanks to Aunt Sarah's employee discount. I will post a picture of her new Nike's next month. She won't be able to fit into them until she is about 1. Just in time for walking!

Thanks for all your comments! We love to know you are checking in on us!

Watching Wrigley....let us know you stopped by & leave a comment

2009-05-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

SB loves watching Wrigley. And Wrigley is becoming more interested in SB too. Wrigley is so very gentle with SB! It is great! Once SB gets up and moving around, I know they will be inseparable!

BIG First's this week!!

2009-05-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

SB Mcgee had many firsts this week! She went on her first flight. From Chicago to Kansas City. Her Aunt Sarah graduated from college and she did excellent! She was asleep for both take offs and slept all through the flight home. Once we were there, we had a 2 1/2 hour drive to the graduation Saturday morning and a 2 1/2 hour drive back to Grandpa & Grandma Joles house Saturday. She slept down and back! She was a charmer at the graduation smiling at everyone! She was a great little traveler! And made mama & daddy so happy!

Another Big First this week..... SB rolled over from back to stomach on Monday after a nap. I found her in her crib on her stomach. She was calling for me and I took her picture when I found her.

The first picture is of Savannah in her new sun hat. Doctor prescribed. It is a little large, but so darn cute! The third photo was her after her bath, I could not resist having Jess take her picture. I am trying to capture every moment possible. She is growing up so fast!

My mothers day & 4 month stats

2009-05-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

The 4 of us (Jess, Savannah, Wrigley and I) went down to Bloomington for the weekend to spend with friends. This morning after breakfast Jess took Wrigley for a walk before church on the Country Insurance Corporate grounds and Wrigley decided to go for a quick swim. Jess said she had a ball! She came back however soaking wet and smelling like pond water. So we could not leave our wet pup at our friends house, she spent the morning in our car making it smell like pond water. I am glad she had a ball.

SB started on rice cereal. She started a couple weeks ago rising earlier to eat, so the doctor suggested trying rice cereal 2 times a day to see if that helps her hunger. Many of you would say, she is big enough!

Here are her stats:

4 months

Weight: 14 lbs 5 oz 75%

Height: 27 inches 110%

It was a great mothers day! SB makes my job as a mom so great! I hope you all enjoyed your Mothers day with your families!

Church & SB

2009-05-04T14:16:00.000-07:00

Going to church on Sunday is almost like playing dress up with Savannah! She has a few dresses, and they are just adorable! It is so fun dressing her up!

She has been alert for quite sometime, but recently she kicked it up a notch. It is almost impossible to sneak up on her if she is awake just to check on her. She sees everything and hears everything! She has also gotten a lot better using her hands. I need to make sure my hair is pulled back, forget necklaces, and if I am holding on to something it cannot be to close to her reach (my coffee-decaf, dinner plate while nursing, books). She has also gotten very curious. She will stop eating just to see what I am doing, the dog is doing, or what is going on around her. We are going in Thursday for her next doctor appointment... I will let you know how well she is growing.

Growing up is hard to do....for mom.

2009-04-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

It is so hard for me to see my little girl grow up. I enjoy every day of it, but it is hard when we graduate to a new stage. Seriously, I considered blogging about the last number 1 diapers a few weeks ago. It was so sad to know that my little sweet pea is now on the the next stage in diapers. She is also now no longer sleeping in our room, but in her crib in her room. She seems perfectly fine with it, but both Jess and I were torn to "graduate" her to the next step. But I have heard it is easier to move them to their room sooner than later. I have heard that if you wait too long, and they realize it is a new room, it can turn to tears. And we don't want that. We also took out the infant head support in the car seat, she is starting to wear 6 months outfits and slowly putting away the 3 month outfits. All this having been said, she is completely unfazed. It is mom who struggles with each step. Just wait till I have to put my little girl in school!!

Silly Rabbit- 3 months old

2009-04-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

SB had her 3 month old appointment and she was 13 lbs 3 oz, the doctor said she was at 75 % of other kids her age and she was 25 1/2 inches long and that is 110% of others her age. She is long! And is already starting to wear 6 month outfits! Happy Easter!

Go Cubs Go!

2009-04-06T16:49:00.000-07:00

Seeing how it is the Cubs first game today. I thought this photo would be fitting! Go Cubs Go! And wouldn't you know it Jess is watching the Yankees game! Oh, well. We will catch plenty of Cubs games this season, you can count on it! With a dog named Wrigley (aka Cubs field), Savannah will be a Cubs fan. She is already a Wrigley fan!

First Dress photo & SB having fun!

2009-04-04T14:48:00.000-07:00

First Day of Spring

2009-03-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

On the first day of spring, Wrigley, SB and I headed out for a walk around the neighborhood. It looked like a beautiful day and the temp said 45 degrees and the sun felt warm. What I could not tell was that it was very windy and it actually felt like 33 degrees!! She was bundled up tight, blocked by the wind and actually fell asleep on the walk. So much for the first day of spring! It was cold!

All Smiles!

2009-03-12T19:18:00.000-07:00

SB smiles with her whole body. What you cannot see in the photo is her arms and legs waiving and kicking. It is just adorable to watch her get excited. She is also becoming quite the little talker. When I get the chance, I will record her talking sometime. It is hard to get her to keep her smiles. When I put the camera up, all of sudden she stops smiling and looks curiously at the camera. I have to really keep her attention.

She has recently started gripping rattles and other toys. She has also really started seeing a lot more things. She will watch as things move in front of her. She has started to look at toys that hang in front of her with a lot more curiosity. She had noticed them before, but I think she is actually starting to see more colors and detail.

Sleeping in the pack n play

2009-03-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

Many of you will be thinking, so what a baby in a pack in play. This one goes out to the grandparents. And for whoever enjoys watching baby videos. As you can see by the video, she is very active in her pack in play. There have been times I put her down laying one direction and come back and she has done a 90 degree turn. Often times I have asked Jess, "did you move the baby?"

ZZZZZZZZ: She is still sleeping through the night! Yeah! Our doctor said that it is pretty early for a new baby that is nursing. I always knew she would be a good sleeper, but I followed the book "Becoming Babywise" and just as they said she should be sleeping through the night by 8 weeks of age. Sure enough, they were right!! Thank you Babywise! And Thank you Stephanie for telling me about it!

What do I call you?

2009-02-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

One of Jess's "things" is to come up with nick names. He has some for the dog and some for Savannah. I think they are so fun, and so endearing. Yes, they may confuse her as to what her name really is. She will eventually figure out her name. In the mean time, we are having fun with her.

SB
Sweet Pea
Savannah Bee
Sweet Pea McGee
Sweet Pea Savannah Bee
Sweet Savannah Bee
Muncher
Savannah Belly (started in the womb)

Slept through the night!

2009-02-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

That is right! Her first night of sleeping through the night! To bed at 9pm and up at 5:30am. And it was an early morning wake up, but that is okay. She had been waking up at 5:30am with a midnight feeding before. I will take an early 5:30 feeding. I am not sure if this will be a regular thing or not. But it was sure nice to get a full nights sleep.

The top picture is her "awake time". I tried everything I could to try and keep her awake. She was determined to sleep! I tried kisses in her neck, I tried singing to her, I tried putting her in her swing with the music on high. Nothing but snores! So, I put her to bed for an early nap. And this is all after a full nights sleep the night before! Silly Savannah! But that is okay, she is a girl after my own heart!

Our little heavy weight!

2009-02-16T16:51:00.001-08:00

This last week Savannah had her 6 week check up at the doctors. When she was born at 9lbs 8 oz, we knew then that she was a healthy girl! She is continuing to eat well and be healthy!

She came in at 11 lbs 3 oz and 23 inches long at 6 weeks and according to the doctor, she is 100% for height and weight! I decided to carry her in her car seat into my doctor appointment that followed her appointment, and I could not carry all the way without stopping for a break! Time to bring along the stroller!

My doctor appointment went well too! I have been "released" for now. I am finally all healed and am done treating my incision. C-sections are not always this long of a process I have been told. And I am thankful since usually once a c-sec always a c-sec and more are in my future.

She has been smiling now for about a week or so. She is starting to make the goo's and gaa's and other grunts to get my attention.

It is so fun to watch our little SB as she grows!

sleeping through church

2009-02-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

Today was Savannah's 1st day at church...and she has mastered what many men over the age of 50 work on for years...sleeping uninterrupted through the entire service. Since the temp has risen from a frigged 15 degrees to a balmy 45 degrees this week, she has also embarked on her first few walks around the block...the best part about this is that she has done so while loving daddy (as you can tell from the picture above). Wrigley has taken to Savannah very well and checks on her often while Savannah sleeps in her pack-n-play. She has learned also not to stick her cold furry nose (wrigley's) too far into SB's sleeping area for fear of waking her to what could only be described as a pterodactyl scream! On another note, who out there (besides Karl) knew there was a "p" in pterodactyl? Anyway, she mostly just stands guard these days--or, more aptly, lays guard. Another observation: Based on the pictures from the blog, Savannah never leaves her car seat...weird. Maybe we should be getting something from Chicco...time to send pictures.

C-Section story, not for the faint of stomach

2009-02-03T18:59:00.000-08:00

I am just about healed up from the C-section and it has been a long 5 week recovery. The end result gave us a beautiful baby girl and she is so sweet. But I hope never to go through a healing process like that again! At the hospital, I got an infection. In the hospital the doctors and nurses were on the look out because I had a high white blood cell count. I did not come down with a fever until about a week after the delivery. And not being aware of the risk of infection, I was surprised when a 1/3 inch of my incision opened and puss pored out. (Sorry for the nasty picture, but yes it pored out.) And not only that but about 3 days later another 1/4 inch of it opened and..... yes, more puss. The doctors said the solution was to put me on antibiotics and stuff the now openings in my stomach with gauze to suck out the puss and allow the wound to heal from the inside out. As of yesterday, I am now done with the gauze stuffing and it is 97% healed from the inside out! It was a painful process! Have you ever had a wound that you had to clean by rubbing it with a wash cloth or something. That is what it felt like the first few weeks of having the gauze stuffed into my open wound. Not fun!

But, I would do it all over again if it meant I got to bring home our Sweet Savannah! She is mostly sleeping through the night. For the last 5 days or so, she has woken up once per night for a feeding. (Except for last night of course, there was two.) But every night gets a little better. Speaking of, I must head for bed myself!

Sweet Savannah is 1 month old!

2009-02-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

Thank You!!

2009-01-20T18:06:00.000-08:00

THERE ARE SOME REALITIES IN LIFE THAT DON'T STRIKE TO THE FULLEST UNTIL A NEWBORN COMES INTO THE PICTURE...FOR EXAMPLE: HOW MUCH A LITTLE PERSON CAN DOMINATE THE CONVERSATION WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING INTELLIGIBLE, HOW "I'M TIRED" TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...OH, SORRY, DRIFTED OFF THERE FOR A MOMENT!, AND HOW MUCH A GRANDPARENT CAN ABSOLUTELY LOVE A GRANDCHILD AND PUT TO EASE THE ANGST OF NEW PARENTS--ONE OF THE TRUE VALUES OF A GRANDPARENT IS THAT THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH SIMILAR THINGS THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY TACKLING--ONLY, IT HAD TO BE WORSE FOR MY PARENTS BECAUSE IT WAS ME (JESS) THAT THEY HAD TO DEAL WITH--IN HIND SIGHT, I'M SORRY FOR EVERYTHING MOM!!! WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE HAD GRANDPA & NANNA (SP?) FOX AND PAPA AND GRANNY SCHWARZ COME TO VISIT. WE FOUND MOST REFRESHING THEIR QUIET CONFIDENCE IN OUR ABILITY AND GODS SOVEREIGNTY IN GIVING US LITTLE SAVANNAH. A COUPLE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED: WHEN GIVING A BATH, DON'T TRUST THE "WARM WATER" SENSOR ON THE INFANT BATH TUB UNLESS YOU WANT TO REALLY PISS OFF A 1 WEEK OLD KID! THE GENUSES (YES, GENUSES) THAT CREATED THIS WATER TORTURE DEVISE WOULD RATHER HAVE YOUR KID JOIN THE POLAR BEAR SWIM CLUB THAN STAY WARM AT BATH TIME--WE SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED GRANDPA & NANNA FOX ON THIS ONE!

THEIR JOY FOR THE MOMENT AND LOVING SUPPORT OF US WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO THANK THEM AND OUR LORD FOR HIS GRACE TO US THROUGH OUR PARENTS.

THANK YOU GRANDPA & NANNA FOX AND PAPA & GRANNY SCHWARZ.

How many diapers does it take?

2009-01-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

This morning after Savannah and my early morning nap, I was woken to a hungry baby. I often change her before I start feeding her so the wet or poopy diaper does not distract her from a good feeding. This morning however it took more than 1 diaper. While changing the diaper our Savannah "sharted" into her fresh diaper before I could close it up (when you fart and poop comes out too) and then finished it off with a good pee which ran down her belly and on her morning outfit. I then removed her outfit and gave her a good wipe down and began to put on a new diaper when she again pooped and peed and did a darn good job of it! Thankfully mom and dad were still here and I called for mom who helped me bathe Savannah and do the clean up. So, to answer the question, I need to keep 3 or more diapers on hand when I change Savannah!

Baby Love

2009-01-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

After 14 hours in the hospital with contractions which include 6 hours of labor and 40 minutes of pushing, I was rushed into an emergency C-Section on December 30th. Savannah was born at 7:15pm. I have been recovering not only from delivery, but also from the c-section. It was definitely scary being rushed into the c-section. But every time I started pushing Savannah's heart rate dropped and they thought the umbilical cord was either in the way or wrapped around her. She was also facing upward instead of downward during the delivery. And with a 14 cm head, I don't think she would have fit anyway. The healing from the C-section is not as bad as I thought it would be. I get better every day, and the meds are definitely making life bearable.

We will be continuing to update the blog with more photos and updates. I am hearing the cry of feed time. And that means mom... and I love it!

Thanks for all your prayers and notes of encouragement! I love to keep in contact with you all!

Welcome Savannah Bailey Joles!!

2009-01-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

Born: 12-30-08 at 7:15 pm by c-section.
Weight: 9lbs 8oz
Length: 20.5"
Head: 14 cm

Pictures on attached website is available for the next two weeks:

http://www.bellababyphotography.com/interim/

Username: 1230savannahjoles
Password: 1230savannahjoles

In case of an Emergency.... Keep driveway shoveled at all times!

2008-12-19T06:28:00.000-08:00

And, since we are down to 1 shoveler in the family, Jess got out there this morning and got to work. Thankfully, he did get help from the neighbor across the street who had a snow blower, and from Wrigley of course! Her inside picture, she is trying so hard to get all the snow off of her! She does not like being wet!

Since it is still coming down and we are expected to get another 2-3 inches today, he will have to make another go at it this afternoon. If we don't get it cleared today it will stick around all winter and tomorrow's snow will add to the mess!

Who wants to bet I go into labor in the next 12 hours!!

2008-12-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

Why, you ask? Because we are supposed to get anywhere from 8 -14 inches of snow!!!! And more snow Friday, Saturday, Monday and Tuesday! I do not want to deliver from home or in the car on the way to the hospital!!! I want drugs and doctors and a clean sterile hospital room!

At my last doctor appointment, they said my stomach is measuring as if I am 2 weeks further along than my due date says I am. According to the doctors, my due date is in exactly 2 weeks on Jan 1, 2009. So, I could go any day now! Place your bets now! Will it be in the next 12 hours? Just pray that we make it to the hospital safely and on time! And that every one is healthy.

Did I mention that I am having a big baby?!! More prayer! HA!!!

I will post some pictures of the snow this weekend. Maybe tomorrow if I have a "snow day".

Nursery, Belly Shot & the "Final Countdown"

2008-12-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

Savannah's nursery!

The dresser was found by L. Bain when they came to visit this summer. There was a free sign on it. All it needed was a paint job and new knobs and it is now my favorite piece in the room!

The crib was purchased by gift cards from the shower in Oregon and the Walkers from church gave us the beautiful changing table and the baby swing! The glider was also "free" we had credit card points that paid for it!

I took full advantage of garage sales this summer too! I would have made my mother in law proud! Anything we have had to purchase after that I used coupons for the stroller/car seat combo along with gift cards! The Lord is so good!

The picture in the top right: I had purchased the basic silver frames on clearance about 2 1/2 to 3 years ago and had never used them. I got the idea to frame some of the cute cards I got at the shower. I only had 3 frames, it was hard to choose. Jesse made the one on the right! She is so crafty!

Then, there is the picture of me! Yes the belly is huge! At my doctor appointment last Thursday, they said I am measuring at full term! The ultra sound I had today predicted that she is weighing in at 7.4 lbs right now and she will probably by just shy of 9lbs at her due date 1/1/09. I tried to talk them into an early delivery. No such luck! My luck she will be a 10 lb or 11 lb baby! Yikes!

Our very own Savannah B

2008-11-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

Jess and I recently made a discovery. We even have the hand soap in our spare bathroom. The Savannah Bee Company sells all kinds of honey products. I have their lip balm as well. Great products. And we are going to have our own little Savannah Bailey here very soon! 33 days till our honey's due date in fact.

Sleep Baby on it's back

2008-11-17T11:45:00.000-08:00

I have to share this with everyone I can. One of the classes Jess and I attended at the hospital was on S.I.D.S. (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome). Please check out this site for research. Most importantly, read the section that reads: "Is there anything we can do to prevent SIDS?" at this site: http://www.sidsillinois.org/sids.php#4.

Some of the highlights I got was:

Sleep Baby on it's back- and make sure to rotate the baby have it's head at the head of the bed and the next night have it's head at the foot of the bed. The babies tend to watch the door for food and love and this will help to reduce the flat head issue.
Sheets and Baby in the bed only. No bumper pads, toys, stuffed animals, blankets, pj's that can slide up, sleep positioners, nothing. Literally sheet and baby. Put the baby to sleep in a sleep sack (it looks like a sleeping bag with arms for the baby.
Babies sleep by themselves. No bed sharing or sofa sleeping, not with parents or other babies. Even the weight of an adult arm can be too much for baby.
Don't let baby get too hot. To check it's temperature, check the back of baby's neck. Baby's limbs tend to feel a little cool, check the baby's neck to see if baby is too hot.

There is a lot more on the website. Please check it out if you are caring for a baby at all. I just would not feel good not sharing this information with you all and later hearing that something happened!

Love you all!

Hospital Classes Completed

2008-11-15T08:02:00.000-08:00

The picture to the right is the hospital where our little Savannah will be born. Jess and I got to take a tour last night of the labor and delivery floor and the floor where her and I will spend our first few days together. The drive to the hospital is about a half hour from our house. So I hope that we make it in time for an epidural.

In every private delivery room there is a little red button on the wall. As soon as she is born, Jess is given the privilege to push the button and it will announce to the entire building that she was born by playing a lullaby throughout the hospital. During our tour, we got to hear the lullaby playing and it really started getting us excited for our little one.

We still have about 6 weeks to go, but now we know what to do when the time comes.

Savannah's 32 week photo shoot

2008-11-05T17:23:00.000-08:00

Jess and I went in today for another ultra sound and we appeared to have disrupted Savannah's nap time. She kept her back to us the entire time and did not want to be bothered. I hope this sleep effort continues after week 40! The doctors said she is looking good. She is measuring at the 75 percentile and they think she should weigh about 8 pounds at birth. They are holding steady to the Jan 1, 2009 birth date. And we are still hoping for the 2008 tax write off! But most importantly, she appears to be healthy and happy!

Getting Ready for Baby

2008-10-28T18:22:00.001-07:00

As the day for Baby approaches, I thought now is a good time to start a blog. According to the doctors she is due in 9 weeks and this is a great way for people to check out the information on their own! I feel entirely behind the times having just started blogging. But better late than never I suppose.

We are fairly ready for Savannah Bailey Joles. Who knows if you are ever really ready. We have the crib, dresser, changing table, carseat stroller combo and odds and ends. We have been so very fortunate to have either been given these items or been given gift cards to buy these items. The dresser was found on the side of the road with a "free" sign on it! And it is my favorite piece of furniture in the room (after the painting and new drawer pulls).

We are going to the doctor for my bi-weekly check up in a week and get to have another ultra sound. So we will post new Savannah pictures as soon as we can.

I know I will get the hang of what you are supposed to put on your blogs. For now.... good bye.