my baby boy, Noah Wesley Dean

Noah's Birthday Party Update

2007-08-25T13:29:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday, we had a birthday party at Noah's Aunt Karen and Uncle B's house to celebrate Noah Wesley turning two. It was a fun time!! Noah, Emma, Drew, and Landon started off by running around the backyard while we finished getting the food ready. They were very interested in the awesome pool Aunt Karen found on one of her shopping trips a few days before. All of the boys got wet before getting into their swimmers and trunks!!! (leave it to the boys...) Before getting into the pool (after eating a wonderfully yummy dinner of hamburgers, hot dogs, scalloped potatoes, baked beans, macaroni salad, fruit, cole slaw, and more), Noah and Landon said their "goodbyes" and then Emma and Noah started playing in the pool. Drew was a little scared, but he got in for a while a had a great time!! After drying off and warming up, everyone dove into the yummy cupcakes (courtesy of Sybil!), and then Noah opened his gifts. He got many outfits for fall, a couple of books (one featuring Elmo), a Cars poster with his name on it, a Nemo decoration with little plastic characters in the cubby-holes, a puzzle, a Jeep with sand tools to take to the beach, a t-ball set, and a potty. Oh, and he got some money, too!! :) It was a great time!!!

Here are a few shots from the party...

My baby boy is 2!!!

2007-08-14T22:38:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it? Two years have already gone by!! It's like they say...time does fly by when you have little ones. Before you know it, he'll be off to college!! :P Today I was able to work from home, so I got to spend the entire day with Noah Wesley. He watched several of his favorite "vi-vi's" (movies)...Cars, Jonah (the VeggieTales movie), Aladdin, and then Cars again before bed. :P Since it was his birthday, I let him watch what he wanted. hehehe

He got to watch the trash truck come this morning also...he oooo-ed and whoa-ed about that!!

At lunchtime, we went to Burger King, and Noah and I had lunch together. He had a lot of fun as he smiled and said hi to the other hungry customers coming in. I seriously think he will one day be a PR person, in some manner. He is very friendly! :)

After his 2 1/2 - 3 hour nap after lunch, he ate some dinner, and together we created his hand mold in a frame! It was a wonderful day, and I'm so thankful for my cute & handsome little 2-year-old!! :D

Here are some pictures that I took of our day...watching the trash truck...looking at movies...giggling...spending time with Mommy...oh, and who made this mess in Noah's room??!! ;)

First Haircut!

2007-07-22T20:51:00.000-04:00

Well, it's getting close to Noah's 2nd birthday, and we decided he was long past due for a haircut...or trim. So, we made plans to go to the mall, get a trim, then get his photos taken for his 2nd birthday. (More about the birthday photos in a later blog.) We went to the Master Cuts in the Hagerstown Mall, and Noah did a wonderful job! He sat on his Papa's lap, while the lady first cut his curls off the back, then worked on the front and the rest of his head. He sat still very well, as I stood there taking photo after photo. :) It just so happened that while Noah was getting his first haircut, one of the employees of the Ritz Camera (just next door) came to get a hair cut also. He came back with his spiffy camera and took a few pictures for us also!! That was very cool (and they ended up being complimentary too!). The only thing that bothered Noah was when she would spray water on his head before cutting it...he's still a bit scared of that. But, all-in-all it was a great experience for Noah, and afterwards he thought he was hot stuff as he went running into the mall!! He now looks very handsome and extraordinarily cute!!! :)

Here's a little "photo story" of the occasion...enjoy!

Update from last week's ordeal

2007-07-13T15:29:00.000-04:00

Well, GG and Grandpa took Noah to the doctor last Friday, and of course, he wanted nothing to do with any doctor coming close to him at all! He said that as far as the eye goes with the nail polish remover, it looked good...cleaned out well. However, with his eye and nose the way they were, he said he definitely has a viral infection. On top of that, when he looked in his ears, he said he had ear infections in both sides (the one side worse than the other, along with the eye). Why the doctor at the ER didn't see this, I don't know! It should be an obvious thing... But anyway, Noah is acting much better, and his eye looks back to normal! However, he is still not fond of getting splashed on by water, especially over his head. I guess it'll take a while for him to totally get over that.

Tomorrow is one month away from his 2nd birthday!!! I've been thinking of ideas and planning out what we can do to celebrate...we'll have to make them solid this weekend. Then we'll let everyone know! :)

Late night at the ER

2007-07-06T14:51:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday afternoon, there was a bit of an accident. A bowl of fingernail polish remover was dumped onto Noah's head and got into his eyes. After flushing his eyes out a few times, he seemed to be a little better, but I didn't want to take any chances with damaging his eyes, so I took him into the ER in Hagerstown. I got there right around 7:00, and he was doing great in the beginning. The longer we waited, the less amused he was...he entertained himself for a while, then would either try to run away from me or just fuss at me. Then he got to the point around 9:30 or 10:00 where all he did was just cry and cry. He wanted to leave and go to bed so badly - he was reaching toward the exit doors. After rocking him and switching positions several times (and struggling with my slightly-large-on-me pregnancy pants and shirt), he dozed off. It was so late, and he just didn't understand why we were still sitting around in such a boring place. By the time they finally called his name to see the doctor, it was after 11:00. Needless to say, when I stood up to go back there, he woke up and began crying again. Then having the nurse in his face trying to look at his eyes didn't help any. He was so very upset!! He kept crying and crying as we sat back there. I felt so bad for him. The doctor finally came to see him around 11:30. Noah immediately held on to me tighter and cried more as soon as she came in the room. She looked at his eyes and his ears too (to make sure the chemicals didn't get in there), and then she wanted to lay him down to put iodine in his eye to make sure there was no damage. We couldn't hold him down, so she had to get another nurse...and the 3 of us are holding him down all over, and he is screaming and crying and kicking and doing everything just to get back up to me. All I could do at that point was cry with him...I am such a baby. It hurt me so much to see him that incredibly upset and scared. Everytime someone else would come in the door, he would start up crying again. He was afraid that we weren't going home I guess. Finally, the nurse came back in with some ibuprofen and a drink for him, but he didn't want anything to do with it. So once again, we had to force him down as she put the medicine in his mouth. The doctor said that everything pretty much looked fine as far as she could tell. So finally, around 12:00 midnight, Noah and I were able to finally leave and go home. (And I could get some dinner...)

This morning, when I got him up, naturally he was very tired because of that rough, late night, so he was crying some and fighting the car seat. But as I drove down the road to my parent's house, he was crying more and more and was rubbing and covering his eyes. They must have been hurting and stinging again after waking up! His left eye was pretty red and puffy. So, this afternoon, GG and Grandpa are gonna take him to see Dr. Schiavone...hopefully the visit from last night didn't totally ruin his good nature in the doctor's office! Pray that nothing is serious and that his eyes look and feel better!

Big brother Noah

2007-06-29T14:58:00.001-04:00

Well, come mid-December, Noah will have a little brother to play with!! Yesterday I had my ultrasound appointment, and we found out that it was definitely a boy...a well-endowed boy as the doctor put it! Noah got to see his baby brother moving around mommy's belly a little bit too as his aunt Kelly looked on also...he even said "bebe" (which is how he pronounces baby right now). We found out that I'm not as far along as we originally thought. I thought I was 19 weeks, but come to find out, I am only 15 weeks, which is kinda early for this ultrasound. But our baby was cooperative, and he immediately opened his legs wide open for us to know that he's a boy! So now, instead of my due date being Dec. 1st, it is now moved back to Dec. 17th. The doctor was very talkative and informative about everything going on, and she told me that, with the history of Noah's delivery, I will want to go with a c-section to avoid any tearage of the incision because of another big head. Makes sense. Nice to know ahead of time, that's for sure. And they would schedule the c-section a week before the due date, which would give me plenty of time to get out of the hospital and recoop before Christmas. And this year, we'll have an itty-bitty baby boy along with Noah Wesley tagging along!! :)

So here's some photos from yesterday of the new upcoming baby... I know they can be hard to detect, so here's what they are: the first one is a shot of his head and his hands on either side his face, the second one is the standard shot showing his back end and legs opened up to prove that he's a boy, and the third one I believe is just his whole body...you can kinda see the embilical cord coming from his belly button too I think!

Hooray for summertime!

2007-05-25T14:44:00.000-04:00

Memorial Day is just about here!! That means we've made it to summertime!! :) Unfortunately, Noah & I will not be able to hang out with his Papa because he is in New York City for Fleet Week. After getting my help with last-minute shopping for supplies and packing, Paul left Monday morning on the ship that slowly made it's way to NYC. From what I have heard so far, it's been a good experience in that he's gotten his picture taken for "the cover of a magazine" (we'll see...), talked on a radio talk show, got handed money, went to a jazz club and a comedy club, and just got to meet lots of interesting people. I'm sure there will be many stories to be heard after he returns on the 31st. Until then, it's just me and my baby boy for the long weekend with no plans...we'll just see what happens!! Wednesday I will be going back to the doctor for my check-up; I will be 15 weeks and 5 days!! So far this time is very different than Noah...I haven't felt sick at all and I've waken up early in the morning having to go to the bathroom very badly already!! Does this mean it could be a girl? Probably next month we will find out! Keep us in your prayers for this and for us to get our house sold so we can all be together again as a happy and stable family!!!!

It's official!

2007-05-11T12:00:00.000-04:00

Well, another year has come and gone. Yesterday Noah's mommy took another step up into her 30s. Fortunately, I don't feel any older; I just added a "one" onto the nice & simple year of 30. haha

Along with gaining another year, I am just beginning another 9-month long weight gain. Yes, the rumors are true...Noah is going to be a big brother!!! And what a good big brother he will be!!! :) I discovered that I was pregnant back on April 5th, thanks to a positive test. (no need to take two, right?) Then my first appointment was on May 1st, when I found out that our new little one is due on December 1st. :) I am praying for a baby girl this time...everyone else is invited to pray the same along with me! Later this month, I go for my next check-up, in which I'm hoping I'll get some "pictures" taken. :)

Yesterday as I was trying to get ready for work, Noah just randomly came up behind me and gave me the biggest hug!! He's really starting to become quite fond of hugs, and I love it!! :) Every morning when I get him out of his bed, he hugs me so tight and holds on for quite a while. Those are the moments that I want to hold on to forever...

God's Beautiful Work of Art

2007-05-02T17:24:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, this entry is not a happy one. Unexpected tragedies can happen to anyone, but they are always a part of God's beautiful "tapestry", or plan. As was explained to me by someone I know, we just look at a portion of the backside of a tapestry, seeing all of the mess, but above, on the other side, God sees the whole, complete, beautiful work of art and has a reason for each "stitch". Noah's cousin Alaina was born last Sunday evening; she was 8 lbs., 9 oz. She was not breathing, and after some resuscitation, she took a few gasps of air on her own. Her heart rate was better, but then she still wasn't breathing on her own. They rushed her out to Washington Co. hospital, where they decided that because she was in such serious condition, she should be sent over to Shady Grove. However, Jesus decided that her home was meant to be with him in Heaven, so he took her home later Monday afternoon. It's very sad for a family member to die, but it's especially devastating to lose one after her only living for several hours. Please remember the whole family in your prayers, especially Trenton, Christy, Taylor, Connor, and Ashton. The viewing was Thursday evening, and the funeral was Friday. It was very difficult; there were many tears shed. I won't go into details about the entire ceremony, but it was very touching to see how strong the family was. The songs sung, the poems and letters read, the comments made...they all made a big impact on me. It makes me appreciate my baby boy and want to thank the Lord for the little things even more. Even though I never got to officially meet her, Alaina's short life refreshed my appreciation for life and closeness to God. I pray that others were touched as well.

From Momma's arms to the arms of Jesus...
Alaina Marie Rowles
April 22, 2007 - April 23, 2007

Pictures, pictures, pictures!!!

2007-04-03T21:58:00.000-04:00

Because there will be so many great photographs for Easter, I figured I should send a little update with the new photos that I have right now of my silly goose so I don't overload the system. haha Included here are pictures of...

• St. Patrick's Day - Noah is quite festive in his green Lucky O'Days Boys Club hat! (No Girls Allowed...Moms are OK!!)
• off to Sunday School - Noah loves his bag that holds his brand new Bible! (let's go bye-bye!)
• twins with Mommy - Noah and I dressed alike on my first day working at home (in complimentary colors of course)
• silly times on the blvd. - Noah is really starting to show his silly side for the camera! (a little cross-eyed too!)

Another snow day

2007-03-16T17:53:00.000-04:00

Well, two days ago you wouldn't believe that today would be a wintery mix and lots of snow after having 70+ degree weather!! But, alas, winter has piled it up for us once again. So I drove to work today, only to step out of my car in the parking lot and get back in to drive home. :P What a waste of gas! But anyway, it was nice to have a day off. :)

Here's the photos from the other day of Noah in his cool, new outfit! Enjoy!!

19 months old, or 1 year & 7 months

2007-03-14T23:30:00.000-04:00

Today Noah is 19 months old!! He's really starting to "grow into himself" lately...he occasionally shows a fragment of his "terrible 2s". Yesterday, for example, he threw a fit when he couldn't go outside (it was beautiful and in the 70s), when all he needed to do was get his jacket on. I can't help but to laugh sometimes because he fights and fights against whatever I want him to do, yet it's such a simple task that needs to be done in order to get what he wants. And of course, he only does it to ME. Oh well...

Sunday night, Noah had his first official "boo-boo" that needed a band-aid. He likes to play with old cassette tapes, and one day figured out that he can pull out the tape part. Well, that became a fun game, where he will keep pulling it out and then string it behind him all through the living room, dining room, and kitchen, making a nice little twisted trail. This is not only fun for Noah, but is also a ton of fun for Slippers as well!! So on Sunday night, he started to play this little game, and then I noticed he stopped and was looking down at his hands. All of a sudden, he squeeled out this loud and startled "OH!!" as he looked at both of his hands. At first, I just responded to him with "What is it?", but then as I looked at him staring at his hands, I noticed he was bleeding. He must have gotten himself a papercut from the tape out of the cassette. He wasn't crying at all, but he was just trying to figure out what this red stuff was all over his fingers, coming from his finger! So we immediately went upstairs to the bathroom, washed off his hands, got the magical kiss on the boo-boo, put some ointment and a band-aid on his finger, and all was well. He didn't cry one bit...in fact, he seemed to have fun getting his hands washed and getting a band-aid put on (which probably lasted a whole 15 minutes on his finger!!).

I have some new pictures, which just happen to be from Sunday, not long before his "boo-boo", but blogger is being difficult, so I'll have to post those tomorrow. You'll love them...he's wearing one of his new "cool" outfits!! :)

He's getting so big!

2007-03-10T21:19:00.000-05:00

Well, my baby boy Noah has graduated to the big baby boy's (and girls too) class in church...downstairs!! He's not in the itty-bitty baby nursery anymore!! Before you know it, he'll be in the 2s & 3s class, singing and coloring pictures!! It's so sad to see him getting older so quickly, but I know it's gonna happen - and even faster as the years go on! Now that he's out of the baby nursery, I start to think...is he going to behave in the bigger class? Is he going to sing when it's songtime (and on tune!)? Is he going to sit still when the lesson is being taught? Is he going to participate when it's time to? Is he going to be the "trouble child" in the class? Is he going to pitch a fit when there's no snack?? Oh, so many things to worry about... But I won't dwell on those things (too much). Here's a photo of Noah Wesley on his first Sunday to go to the big nursery. I figured it was a good day to wear a tie and look cute (and handsome)!! :) (He was still pretty tired that morning in the pictures...hahaha)

Don't want to forget...Noah had his 18 month checkup back on the 22nd. His ears are all cleared up (once again), and he is doing just fine, according to Dr. Schiavone. He weighs 23 lb., 12 oz. and is 32 3/4" tall. He is taller than the average boy his age, but is skinny for his height. That's fine...better skinny than overweight!! :)

Also, happy belated birthday to Noah's grandpa!! (It was on the 6th.) :)

Photos from Wednesday

2007-02-17T00:22:00.000-05:00

As promised, I have some great photos to share with you. Of course, since I was home all day with him, I have many photos that I took that day, but I'll only share a few with you here. Ask me if you'd like to see more. I'm always happy to share photos with people!! :)

Happy Half-Birthday & Valentine's Day!

2007-02-15T22:52:00.000-05:00

OK, yeah, so I'm a day late... Noah turned 18 months yesterday, which just happens to be Valentine's Day. We had a horrible ice storm the night before, so I got to stay home with my baby boy on this special day! I got to spend Valentine's Day with my little valentine!! :) We laughed, played, ate, ate some more, went outside for a little while to check out how fun it was (but it ended up being way too cold and windy), and of course Noah took his usual naps. I think Noah really had a fun time with Mommy home with him. :)

I took several pictures throughout the day, but I am just too tired to upload them tonight, so I'll have to show them off tomorrow night. It took me several hours to chisel a path out of the driveway last night, and I still feel tired and sore from it.

Check back tomorrow for some of these photos!! (Papa will be home too!!)

It's been awhile...yet again

2007-02-08T23:21:00.000-05:00

It's funny...the older Noah gets, the longer it takes me to write an update. So very horrible...

Well, about two weeks ago, I had to take Noah in to the doctor one Saturday morning. Yep, you guessed it...ear infections again! He just finished his medicine just a couple of days ago, and he's starting to get congested once again. I certainly hope it doesn't build into another set of ear infections!! There's a lot of sicknesses going around, so I'm praying that Noah is able to fight it off. :)

Now that we've finally gotten a little bit of snow and a lot colder weather, Noah's gotten to wear his warm snowsuit. He looks so cute it in, of course! It's a one-piece suit that has detachable mittens for the hands and for the feet. He doesn't love putting it on...he looks like a plump little astronaut walking around. Last Sunday when I put it on him before leaving church, I sat him down so he could walk around in it (or see if he could - haha), and he started to take off down the aisle of the church. He got going a little too much and lost his balance (from all of that plumpness of the coat), and he fell straight down face first. He wasn't hurt, but he cried...it scared him more than anything. It was humorous to watch him walking in it though... I'll have to take a picture of him in it before the winter is over. :)

On the 22nd Noah will be going back to Dr. Schiavone for his 18-month routine checkup and for his checkup on his ear infections. I will definitely post an update before that (Valentine's Day and Noah's half-birthday is soon!!). Maybe more photos will come...

Some New Years photos

2007-01-06T23:01:00.000-05:00

As promised, and much sooner than many probably expected, I have some more photos to show off. As I told you before, I have a brand new wonderful digital camera (thanks to my coworkers Alan, Mike, Maxine, and Lorrie!), and I can post new photos at the click of a mouse!! No more hassle of scanning them in...no sirrie...it's just marvelous! So expect more in the days ahead (when I have a moment to take a break on the computer).

So here's a few from New Years. The last photo is especially great...he was playing with his golf balls and was throwing them toward me. It shows how excited he was getting about the game! My baby boy is such a cutey!! :)

Merry Christmas update!

2007-01-03T17:46:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know...I know... I'm falling behind with posts, and I apologize. Noah Wesley had a wonderful time this Christmas opening all of his gifts!! He thought it was a lot of fun to tear the paper and crumple up the tissue paper in the bags and boxes. Sometimes he had more fun doing that than actually seeing what his gift was!!

A few of my co-workers surprised me by going together to buy me a digital camera this year. I couldn't believe it!! It was very thoughtful, and it means a lot to me. So, with this new gift, I have up-to-date photos to share with you! (probably way more than I'll ever be able to post here too!!) Enjoy...I'll post more that will include New Years next time. :)

I totally forgot!

2006-12-08T23:38:00.000-05:00

I thought for some reason that I posted an update on Noah's last checkup with Dr. Schiavone. However, it looks as if I didn't. So...here's all about his 15 month checkup. He weighed in at 21 lb., 12 oz. and measured 31 in. long. Dr. Schiavone said that he is in the 50th percentile for his height, but he's just slightly skinny...but he said that it's not a problem. Nothing to worry about. I'd rather he be skinny than to have problems with being overweight. He did, once again, have the beginnings of an ear infection, so we caught it early. My poor baby has my ear infection curse! haha He also got 3 shots that day, which were really hard for him. He cried and squirmed around. I was holding his hands and arms back while the nurse tried to keep his legs down, but she said it was tough cause he had some pretty strong legs. hehe :)

Noah's really having a ball with seeing all of the Christmas decorations everywhere...the lights...colors...sounds...decorations that are new "toys" to play with... hehehe Christmas day will be so exciting for him this year!!

Well, I finally have some pictures from the beach. Noah's Nana took these...they are good shots. :)

15 months old!!!

2006-11-14T22:18:00.000-05:00

Well, my baby boy is 15 months old today. He has a mouth full of teeth (some of which are newly-poked through the gums), is walking more steadily now, and talks more and more each day!! He won't go to Dr. Schiavone for his checkup and shots until next week. I can't get over how much he is growing up!! He is right now wearing 12 month clothes for the most part, even though he's 15 months old. He's eating as much as always...loves those crackers!!

This past weekend, I went down to Norfolk to the Marine Corps Birthday Ball. It was quite an experience, with all of the presentations and uniforms...it was a lot of fun! One of Paul's friends came back with us so he could visit his parents in PA this weekend also. His mother has lots and lots of horses that she let us ride for a little bit (this being my first time ever!). And Noah got to see horses up close!! He loved them!! He talked to them and watched them inside the stables. He especially got a kick out of one of the horses when he was eating out of his bucket attached to the fence. Noah laughed every time the horse moved the bucket around with his mouth to get more food!! It was so cute!

Hopefully very soon I will have the much-awaited-for photos from this summer and maybe a few from the ball too. :)

Happy Birthday, Papa!!

2006-10-24T14:46:00.000-04:00

Well, today is Papa's birthday...Noah and I will get to see him this weekend to celebrate. We're all looking forward to it!!

Last night, we actually had time to add a bath to our bedtime routine. Noah had a great time!! He discovered how to kick his feet like he's swimming, and he thinks it's a ton of fun! Bathtime is so much fun for him, he can't sit still!! However, when it was time to lay down for bedtime, Noah was a good boy and laid there nice and still with his bedtime buddies as he drifted off to sleep.

In the middle of the night, he woke up crying, which isn't out of the ordinary (he'll do that in his sleep occasionally), but this time he wasn't stopping. Finally, I went into his room, and picked him up to bring him in the room with me. He just put his head on my shoulder and held on to me tight. Do one-year-olds get nightmares? Or is he not feeling well? I wish I knew....but for me and Noah in the middle of the night, we just wanted to get some sleep. Noah laid in the bed with me with his head on my chest as I held him. When I got up to get ready for work (much later than normal I might add), Noah woke up as soon as he realized that I wasn't lying by him. He sat straight up, and then had a look on his face like he was scared. Poor baby boy. I reassured him that I wasn't going to leave him alone, and that I just had to get ready for work. He kept his eyes on me the whole time. :) I hope everything is ok...

Sorry I don't have the photos scanned yet...I'll be working on it very soon. :)

Noah is 14 months old!

2006-10-18T23:28:00.000-04:00

I've slacked just slightly on an update. Here's what's up with Noah lately...

Noah had his first visit to the Urgent Care on Tuesday night (the 10th). He had been battling with a cough and horrible congestion, and since Sunday evening, he had a fever. But Tuesday he was feeling much worse. His Na Na woke him up 6 hours into a nap (poor baby!), and when she took his temperature, he had a fever of 103.5. On top of that, he wasn't drinking much at all, and he didn't have any wet diapers, which, as many of you parents know, could result in a baby getting dehydrated. So, needless to say, I felt like I needed to get him in to see a doctor today, instead of waiting until the morning. Even though he definitely wasn't feeling well, he still was eating normally (meaning, a lot!) and would still want stand up, play, and talk occasionally.

The doctor at the Berkeley Co. Urgent Care was not very helpful or friendly at all. However, she gave me a prescription for amoxycillin for yet another set of ear infections, and then she gave me a prescription for an eye ointment, which, after calling Noah's pediatrician, I found out that he doesn't really need. I also got him PediaCare decongestant and cough medicine. He's still taking the medicine and is feeling better, but he still has a runny nose and cough every once in a while.

Saturday (the 14th) was Noah's 14-month birthday!! He got to spend the afternoon with G.G. and Grandpa while his Mommy had a little "girls day out" with Sybil. By the time I returned to their house that evening, my voice was just shot - Noah's little sickness got to me! Buddy and Justin were there, and Noah would not take his eyes off Justin!! He followed his every move! He IS the "Great White Rapper"...isn't he??! It was pretty funny to see Justin's reaction!

Noah is definitely starting to show his independent side (and some temper tantrums too!). He is officially finished nursing (boo-hoo for Mommy), and he is playing on his own better these days. He isn't as afraid of his tricycle that we got him for his birthday now...he really loves to push it around the house! When I put him on it the other night, he actually used his feet to push - backwards! hehehe He is also saying "Hi" and "Bye" and waves using his fingers now. Within all of the baby babble, I think I've also heard him say "belly button," "kitty," and "ball." He still isn't walking all of the time on his own, but he will walk from person to person or from pieces of furniture. He's growing up so much!!

It's been over a week since Noah's seen his Papa. I've tried to get him to talk to him on the phone, but all he does is smile with big, wide eyes...and then he tries to push the buttons or eat the phone... haha We both miss him around the house.

Well, I think that pretty much catches us up. I have some new pictures that I need to scan in from the beach that are just great - I'll post them soon.

Beach Trip & more!

2006-10-04T17:01:00.000-04:00

Shame on me, shame on me... It's been way too long since I've posted anything. Noah's had some exciting days these past few weeks. On Saturday (the 23rd), we left for a trip to Virginia Beach with Paul's family. (Incidentally, it was not as early as we wanted...Paul & I were very sick with the flu bug that Noah had the day before.) We rented a HUGE beach house, and Noah had lots of fun with his cousins. He got to sit out on the beach and feel the sand (and eat it too!), and we helped him put his feet and legs in the ocean water!! The trip was short for me...I had to leave Tuesday evening to make it home to get to work the next day. I left all alone. Paul left for the class for his Marine Corps job Wednesday, and Noah stayed at the beach with the family. Once he got back home, he spent the weekend with his GG and Grandpa while I had a "sisters weekend" at Cedar Point. (Which, by the way, is awesome!!) So...Noah went for 5 days without seeing his Mommy, and even longer before he'll get to see his Papa. Friday afternoon, Noah and I will take a little road trip down to Norfolk (which is where our future home will be) to pick up Paul and bring him home for the weekend. :)

Last week was also our church's Missions Conference. One of the couples there was Eric & Lili Schrock, who now have a little baby girl, Ruthie. From what I hear, Sunday morning in the nursery, Noah was very interested in Lili and tried to talk to her and get close to her. hehehe Noah is such a little flirt! ;)

Next week, I'll post some photos from the beach and also from the conference. I'm still working with an old-school camera, so I've gotta get my film developed.

Another Set of Photos

2006-09-16T21:33:00.000-04:00

Here's some adorable photos of Noah and Chloe together. Notice Chloe leaning in for a kiss; she knows a cute little boy when she sees him!!! ;)

Also, there's a couple of pictures from an afternoon at the park with Riley, Landon, and Briggs. Noah may look like he's bored, but he was really just checking out everything else around him and wasn't bothered about taking pictures! Check out Riley being silly on the second one! (Sorry about cutting off DeeDee's head!)

More Promised Photos

2006-09-16T21:20:00.000-04:00

Here are some more photos that I promised to post - from Noah's 1st birthday party.

As you can see from all of these photos, Noah had a great time, with lots of cake and fun gifts...or paper from them! I have a photo here of one of his girlfriends, Emma, but he had other friends at the party also: Chloe, Drew, Landon, Briggs, & Lacee.

13 months old!!!!

2006-09-14T13:11:00.000-04:00

Wow! My little baby boy is a TODDLER!!!!! Today he is 13 months old...it was just a year ago that I was staying at home and taking care of a teeny tiny Noah Wesley 24/7 as I was recooping & healing myself. Sometimes I wish I could go back to that time. I remember enjoying it, for the most part, and thinking about how much I should cherish the "tiny" times.

Today, Paul found out about his orders on his class. He'll be leaving Noah and me on the 22nd to go down to the VA Beach area for his 4-week long class. It will be tough, but we can do it. Keep the three of us in your prayers.

On a lighter note, here are the photos from Noah Wesley's one-year-old photo shoot. We are totally convinced, even though he didn't win the contest, that he is absolutely the cutest, handsomest, most adorable baby boy ever!!!! :)

Promised Photos

2006-09-09T23:55:00.000-04:00

I promised some new photos, and I am one to live up to my promises. :) These first ones are from way back - July 4th and a swimming day with Emma back in July.

"Aren't these cool sneakers?!?"

Relaxing with my papa.

"I'm too sexy for my hat..."

This horsey is fun!!

Splash, splash, splash...

"We're swimming with our mommies!"

"...and Aunt Kelly too!"

Well, that's all for today. I'll put up some more from Noah's birthday party very soon. :)

One-year checkup

2006-08-25T07:34:00.000-04:00

On Monday, Noah had his one-year old checkup. His Grandpa had to come along with us, since I wasn't feeling well at all. His official stats are: 29.5 in. long, 21 lbs., 2 oz., and 48.8 cm head circumference. He's a little guy with a big noggin! :) He got his three shots, which weren't very fun. But all-in-all he was a very good boy at the doctor's office. He has a little ear infection beginning - he's been congested all week long. It's not a big deal though; we're catching it early this time.

Saturday, Noah's cousin Holden had his birthday party. Noah got to play with several of his cousins and aunts and uncles. His Uncle "Bubba" (Nathaniel) was helping him walk, and Noah took many, many steps on his own! I tried to catch them on camera...I'll share those later (along with many others!).

Noah's 1st Birthday!!!!!

2006-08-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

Noah Wesley Dean is now one year old!! His birthday party was on Saturday (his birthday was officially on Monday), and you couldn't have asked for a better day!! It was a clear, sunny day, probably in the upper 70s or lower 80s. Beautiful day to be in the park!! :) Several of his cousins and friends were there: Briggs, Lacee, Landon, Micaiah, Emma, Chloe, and Drew. It was so much fun to see all of the kids together and playing!! We had a little cookout with tasty hamburgers and hot dogs and macaroni salad, summertime pasta salad, and chips. Auntie Sybbie made yummy cupcakes for everyone and a small cake just for Noah to devour! He was so funny digging in to his cake! Cake and icing everywhere! Briggs and Lacee helped Noah out when it came time to open gifts...he had more fun tearing some of the paper than what the gifts actually were! He got lots of clothes, some cd/books, balls, a "Ready Steady Rider" (like a tricycle), and a car seat...oh...and $1!!!! :) It was a great day, and I feel so blessed to have Noah in my life! It's really hard to believe that it's been a year since being in the hospital with Noah as a little newborn baby! I love you, baby boy!!! :)

Soon I'll have the pictures up for everyone to see from the party...

Major Event!!!

2006-08-09T17:30:00.000-04:00

I apologize for not posting this right away, but I've been really busy lately...

Now for the big news: Monday afternoon, exactly one week before his first birthday, Noah was holding on the the coffee table and moving around it as his Aunt Kelly and I were talking. He was going from me to her and then to stuff on the table. Then, totally out of the blue, he took about 3 or 4 steps away from the table...without holding on to anything!!! He took his first steps!!!! :) I couldn't believe it! He has been moving for a while, but only if somone were holding on to his hands. He totally surprised us! It was really cute, cause he doesn't take the steps slowly - he practically runs them. He fell down because it seemed like his feet were going faster than his body. hehehe He only took steps on his own a couple of times; I tried to catch him doing it on camera, but he wasn't interested in showing the camera how he can walk. He just wanted to play with the dangling lens cap. hehehe

Only 3 more days until his party!!! My little baby boy is close to being one year old!!!!!

An Update

2006-08-04T14:48:00.000-04:00

As you may recall, back a few months ago I posted an announcement of some of Noah's missing toys. I have some good news! Last night, two of his toys appeared at Paul's mom's house when we were there to pick him up. His Baby Einstein caterpillar and Dave the Dog!!! That is a relief...now the only missing toy (that I can think of) is a small baby blue dog that barks when you squeeze him. Noah only had him for a day before he was missing. Oh, and his froggie is missing too. This is the frog that would go "ribbit" when you squeezed him; he is the one that we believe Noah learned how to stick his tongue out from. hehehehe :) We are both very thankful for everyone that took time out to search for the lost (& now found) toys! And continue to keep your eyes out for the other ones still missing...

Noah and I appreciate your help!

#5

2006-07-27T14:40:00.000-04:00

Well, he's got another set of ear infections. Thankfully, they've been spread apart enough that it's not as bad as it could be. The doctor told me that if he gets them more often (closer), then we'll have to see an ear, nose & throat consultant. Which, by the way, I know them quite well!! haha He prescribed him a different (and more expensive!) kind of amoxicillan that is actually white instead of the familiar pink. I certainly hope that he starts feeling better...he's really been out of it and not at all himself this whole week. :( He can't be sick for his birthday!!!

Flu Bug

2006-07-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

Well, the flu bug got a hold of Noah this weekend. Saturday morning when he woke up, he was burning up...his temperature was 103!! He ended up sleeping pretty much all morning, and then when he was awake, he just wanted to lay on my lap on with his head on my shoulder or chest. He wouldn't drink anything out of his bottle or the sippy cup...but thankfully, he nursed extra well. With him having diarrhea like he did and not drinking from the bottle, I was concerned of him getting dehydrated. That's one perk of breastfeeding him still. As the weekend moved on, his fever got lower and lower, and by this morning, it was only a low-grade fever (about 99.5 or 100). (I'm still mastering the ear 1-second digital thermometer.) Well, his stomach must be feeling a little better too (no more bad diarrhea), but he is quite congested now! Poor baby!! I hope he doesn't end up with another ear infection...

This week & swimming

2006-07-21T17:01:00.000-04:00

Keeping our weekly playtime schedule with Emma, Monday we went swimming again. And boy, was it a good day to be in the pool!! It was sooo hot outside - over 100 degrees! To be safe, we didn't keep the kids out too long, but they both got a chance to play in the water and cool down a bit. Noah was enjoying the relaxing time as he was sitting in the little baby floaty. Then, later that evening, we got back in the pool at someone else's house. He was such a water baby...his little toes were turning into little raisinettes!!! hehehe However, I noticed toward the end, as he was relaxing with his elbows on the floaty and looking cool, he would bend himself down toward the water...and drink it!!! Unfortunately for him, we found out the next day that he must have consumed quite a bit of that chlorinated water cause he must have had a tummy ache. He hardly ate anything all day, and he threw up a little bit later that afternoon after drinking a bottle. But he's feeling better now. It only affected him one day. :)

I just finished designing Noah's birthday invitations. They turned out great!! I'm getting excited about his big day!

Happy 11-month Birthday!

2006-07-14T17:18:00.000-04:00

It's really hard for me to believe that my baby boy is already 11 months old!! He's only one month away from celebrating his 1st birthday!

He's been doing really good lately. He's been crawling more often and much faster, he's been laughing and talking to Slippers, he's been pulling himself up to a standing position all of the time, and he loves to hold your hands and just take off!!! We've been letting go of one hand as we walk to see how he does with his balance...he's getting better. He's just decided that when he's ready to stand up on his own and walk on his own, he's gonna do it right so that he doesn't hurt himself too much. ;) Accuracy is best! He's a good boy...

Yesterday, he was introduced to (and fully enjoyed) a pot and wooden spoons! Oh, and he is quite the drummer!!! He goes to town... Do we have a little drummer boy in our future? ;)

Also, today is my mom's birthday! :) Noah shares the exact month before his birthday with his GG!! Here's a picture from Christmas of them together (and me taking video footage). :)

Noah's first 4th and more!

2006-07-11T17:42:00.000-04:00

I'm a little behind on posting this update, but things have been quite busy now that summer is in full force. For the 4th of July, we took a road trip to Tennessee to visit with Joshua, Sarah, and Riley. Noah had a great time playing with his cousin Riley!! Hopefully soon I'll have the pictures scanned from the visit and will post them for everyone to see. The fireworks were beautiful, but when Joshua set off a few in his yard, Noah was scared to death!! He tensed up, held on to me tightly, and cried and cried. They were loud, so they were pretty scary to a baby who doesn't understand what it's all about.

On Saturday (July 1st), we got our very first family portraits done! Most of them turned out ok, but there's a couple that have weird looks or bad lighting (shadows)... You can see all of them below.

Well, Friday will be Noah's 11 month birthday!! (Along with my mom's birthday!) Before we know it, we'll be having a big birthday party for him!! For those that will be able to attend and want to mark your calendar, I'm thinking about doing it on Saturday, August 12th, but that's not set in stone yet. Look for some sort of invitation soon.

Another Mentionable Note

2006-06-28T12:36:00.000-04:00

I forgot to mention on the post yesterday that Noah now officially has 8 teeth!!! Yup, you read that right...EIGHT!! He has his front 4 top and bottom now. And yeah, he still has a bit of a space in between the front top two, but that's ok...it's cute! :)

Last night he crawled a little more to show his Daddy. He also stood himself up as he held onto my legs many, many times. :) And he had a ball trying to catch Slippers (as he always does)!! He held onto my hands and was trying to run toward her...he's that excited about seeing her!! He looks at her, laughs, smiles, and talks to her. Unfortunately, Slippers doesn't return the affection quite yet...she usually runs away. hehehe Hopefully one day they'll be best friends. :)

He did it!!

2006-06-27T09:22:00.000-04:00

Last night as we were about to sit down and watch a movie, I sat Noah down in the middle of the living room floor. I turned toward Paul to talk to him, and he just said "Is he crawling on his knees??". And sure enough, instead of his usual scooting motion, he was really crawling toward the VCR and DVD player!! He crawled the whole way over there, but then the next time he was ready to move, he went back to his standard scoot. That's fine...we were just happy to see him do it on his own. :)

Standing Alone

2006-06-22T08:10:00.000-04:00

As you could see from the photo in the last post, Noah is able to stand up on his own holding on to something like a table, someone else's body, or chair... He's also been very excited about holding your hands and walking all over the place... Now, the newest revelation: he can hold on to the handle of a toy with wheels (at another one of his girlfriend's house) and walk by himself!! He fell down a couple of times, but he was having fun. We just sat there with big goofy smiles on our faces - we were so proud!

Also, Monday night, Noah went "swimming" in a pool for the very first time!! A friend of ours was holding him in the water, and at first, he didn't know what to think, but then he slowly started splashing with one hand, more and more, and then got going with both hands. He was having a blast!! He splashed our friend in the face many times and even splashed himself! He was just laughing and laughing about it. It was a lot of fun!!! :)

10 months old!!

2006-06-14T08:07:00.000-04:00

It's so hard to believe....my baby boy is already 10 months old! I don't really have any breaking news to tell today, but I do have a few cute pictures! (don't I always?) ;)

Oh...notice in the vertical photo that Noah is standing up ON HIS OWN as he is just holding on to the table!

New photos...as promised

2006-06-14T07:58:00.000-04:00

I'm just gonna post 2 of the new photos today. They are of Noah and Emma on the day of my birthday cookout last month.

I'll post more later...

Finally!!!

2006-06-13T11:38:00.000-04:00

My baby boy finally says mama!! The world doesn't only revolve around dada or papa. ;) I believe it was just this past Thursday or Friday when I picked him up after work that I noticed he didn't just go "mmmmm, dada", he said "mama"!!!! He still says dada 90% of the time (and over and over again!), but I'm glad that all of the "ma-ma-ma-mommy"s that I've worked with him have worked!

I have some new photos from the past month and weeks that are super-duper cute! Hopefully here soon I'll have them scanned in and post them for everyone to see. :)

Moving ahead

2006-06-09T08:36:00.000-04:00

Noah is moving more and more these days. He's still doing more of a scooting motion rather than a "real" crawl...he pulls himself like a little Marine. :) But he's moving faster and farther now, which means he's getting into everything. His favorite things to do as he's moving about are: try to chase Slippers, crinkle up pieces of paper, open and close doors, play with the vcr, dvd, xbox, & cable box, and try to get into Slippers's food and water. He keeps me on my toes!!

He's all good

2006-06-02T10:09:00.000-04:00

Noah had his checkup with the doctor, and thankfully, his ear infection is gone! I'm hoping that this is the last one...at least for a while.

He's been trying to move more and more; as a matter of fact, Wednesday night after church, he was scooting himself all over the church! He just started going and was determined to get himself across the room (which is pretty large, especially for a little guy!). He got about halfway... He would pause every once in a while and put his head down and just lay there, then he'd get going again...he's so funny! He'll really be crawling soon... He has the positioning right, but he just hasn't figured it out quite yet on how to get moving on his hands and knees.

I've noticed that he "dances" to music now too! He has a toy that plays music when you press a button, and he'll sit there and bounce to it! It's the cutest thing! He also bounces when he hears my cell phone ring when Paul calls me and for a few other things too. He's so much fun!!! :)

Have you seen this dog?

2006-05-26T11:26:00.000-04:00

Attention: Dave the Dog is missing!! I repeat, DAVE THE DOG IS MISSING! This is very upsetting, because Dave the Dog was in Noah's hospital picture and was one of Noah's favorites. (As a matter of fact, Noah is also missing some of his other toys, like a little baby blue dog that barks when you squeeze him and one of the fancier Baby Einstein caterpillar teethers. Those two have been missing for a while.) But I just realized about a week ago that Dave the Dog was missing, so if anyone that sees Noah regularly could take a moment to look around the house or car...Noah (and I) would appreciate it!

Here's a picture of Noah with Dave the Dog at my dad's retirement party back a month ago. I'm also including another good photo from that day, showing Noah's flirty and camera-happy side. :)

A Big Evening

2006-05-25T14:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, we got a call that there was a couple interested in seeing our house! Finally!! After 3 months of being on the market and dropping the price and taking lots and lots of photos, we have someone that is gonna see it!! Because of that, we had to hustle on getting it spic 'n span, so Paul enlisted his sister to help out until I got home. We cleaned and cleaned and cleaned and cleaned until 3:30 am!! We both decided that we needed to get a little sleep, so we went to bed and got about 2 1/2 - 3 hours of sleep. Then we got up and worked some more!! We're praying that this will be the one that buys our house!!

As we were finishing our "dinner break", Noah and I were sitting on the floor in the front room by my computer. For those of you that don't know, I have a Mac G4, and the CPU (box) has handles on each corner...a neat design. So anyway, Noah decided that he wanted to grab a hold of it, and he didn't just grab on to it...he held on to it and pulled himself up to a standing position! We were so proud of him!! He was happy to be standing there on his own...he was excited and pounding his hand on the cable modem box! It was so cute!!!

Also, Noah officially says "dada" all of the time now! As soon as he saw me when I was picking him up the other day, he said "dada" several times in a row! As much as I say "ma ma ma ma mommy!", he still just says "dada". Oh well...let Paul bask in the popularity and attention of our baby boy for now...he'll be a Mama's Boy! :)

Blast from the (not too long ago) past!

2006-05-24T13:22:00.000-04:00

Well, I was rummaging through some images on my computer here, and I found some wonderful pictures of Noah from the hospital. I think you'll all enjoy them! (nevermind the tired-looking Mommy!)

He's trying...

2006-05-23T12:07:00.000-04:00

Sunday was such a fun day for Noah! He was learning and laughing throughout the day. And we had some good laughs as he was learning new things. The biggest thing was after church Sunday night...we went over to Kelly & Jon's house, and we had just finished eating. Noah had some of his sweet potato puff stars; he is picking them up by himself very well, and using both hands! At one point, Paul wanted him to pick up the star with his left hand, but Noah kept reaching for it with his right hand. Paul kept moving it, trying to persuade him to take it with his left rather than his right hand. After moving the star around time after time, Noah had enough, and he grabbed Paul's hand with both of his hands and put it to his mouth so he could eat the star puff!

Then, Paul had the idea of placing a star on his end of the table and then having Noah try to crawl across the table to get it. (it was a small 4-person round table) After lots of encouragement from his Mommy & Daddy and Aunt Kelly & Uncle Jon, he tredged toward it like a little Marine in a trench. We were all so proud!! So we kept doing it. He was so cute pulling himself toward to get the food. He played this game with us for several star puffs, but then decided that he had enough of it. Paul didn't want him to give up, so instead of just one star, he dumped a bunch of stars out on the table, and Noah went after them!! One star just wasn't enough for him...he needed more incentive!

One other fun thing that we discovered that night was that our baby boy has a good ear (for music). Kelly was holding him and singing, and he was babbling on with her, so she sang one note to see if he would sing with her...and he matched the note!! He did this several times at different tones, and for the most part, he found the note!! We were so amazed, and I was just tickled pink that he could do that at such a young age!!

All-in-all, it was a great night having fun with Noah Wesley!! :)

9 month checkup

2006-05-17T08:55:00.000-04:00

Well, Noah Wesley had his 9 month checkup yesterday. He's growing up so fast! He weighs 18 lb. 15 oz. and is 27 1/2 in. long. His head is about 48 cm - a big noggin! Unfortunately, he has another (although it's small) ear infection. My poor baby boy has had 4 ear infections so far in his little life! He certainly has been happy as could be and very alert and playful lately. The doctor said that his weight is good for his height, so he's doing just fine altogether. He also told me that we can feed him table food, of course in small itty-bitty pieces. Already!!?? Seems so soon...!

Excellent weekend!

2006-05-15T09:11:00.000-04:00

Well, for those of you that were wondering, I had a wonderful weekend. The cookout party was awesome (even though the babies were the center of attention!!), and then Paul whisked me away to the Bavarian Inn for the evening, where we had a great dinner and spent the night. The next morning, we slept in a bit longer than we planned...he was going to take me to Kings Dominion, but the weather was not very good to be walking around an amusement park. (high of 65 and 80% chance of precipitation with lightning and thunder too) So, instead, we drove down to Shady Grove, hopped on the metro, and went to the Zoo!! It wasn't picture perfect though...we had to get off the metro 2 stops before ours because a person got hit by one of the cars, then get a shuttle to the stop we were to go to. Then, when we were walking out of the Ape House, we found out that it started to rain quite hard. Needless to say, we got pretty wet. On our way out, we got on the wrong bus (it wasn't a shuttle bus), so we had to pay to have him take us to the best metro station (we needed to get out of the rain anyway). But really, all in all, it was a great day! We saw the baby panda, the giant pandas, lots of monkeys, the giraffe, the elephant and her baby (which is 4 years old and a whopping 3600 lbs!!), pygmie hippos, lots of reptiles, and more. It will be so much fun when Noah gets to be old enough to walk around the zoo with us - he'll have such a good time looking at all of the different animals!!

party tomorrow!!

2006-05-12T17:44:00.000-04:00

I'm very excited...tomorrow afternoon is my little cookout party, and then afterwards Paul is surprising me with some kind of fun night. (He even scheduled a babysitter!) I'm really looking forward to it! I've been trying to figure out what it might be, but I'm not sure...I have my ideas, but I'll keep those to myself. ;)

Noah will be able to have some more fun with his (girl)friend Emma on Saturday!! He spent the day with her earlier this week, and I think they had a good time, after Emma got accustomed to Noah's playful slapping. hehehe Unfortunately, I don't have a picture from that day, but here's another great one of Noah in his exersaucer...he absolutely LOVES that thing!!!

The big "20-10"!

2006-05-10T21:05:00.000-04:00

Well, it is official, Noah's mommy is in her 30s!! It's not so bad though...I still feel like I'm in my early-mid 20s! :) So, today at work they had a yummy cake (7-up cake), and put 30 candles on it, which really lit up (and smoked up!) the room!!

Noah is finishing up his 8th month...on Mother's Day he'll be 9 months old!! Hard to believe, but true! He has 6 teeth now and is wanting to move, whether by crawling or scooting or walking. You can tell that he is eager to start his adventure!! On Tuesday he'll be going back to the doctor for his checkup. We'll see how much he's grown (weight and height).

Last month I entered Noah into the Baby Talk cover contest; I think he's the cutest thing on the face of the earth, so shouldn't everyone else?? ;) They choose 8 semi-finalists, fly them to NYC and have a photo shoot. Good Morning America & Baby Talk will choose 2 out of the 8 to be the finalists. Then they post the final 2 on their website and have people vote on their favorite. The winner will not only be on the cover of the Oct. issue of Baby Talk, but they will also be on Good Morning America!! They will post their semi-finalists on June 30th...keep your fingers crossed! Here's the photo that I entered...

Well, all...to close my very first blog, I'm gonna leave you with some more photos of me and my baby boy! Enjoy!! :)