I Love My Uncle Buck

Dave's brother RC and his fiancee Jessica flew out from Chicago to visit Noah this weekend. He loves hanging out with his Uncle Buck!

I Got Shot

On Thursday, Noah had his two month check-up and immunizations. He is now 13 lbs. 5 oz. and 22 7/8 inches long. At his last appointment, he was in the 40th percentile for weight & the 90th for length. That's flipped now - he's in the 85th for weight and 40th for length!

He did well with his 4 immunizations - 3 shots & 1 liquid. He screamed at us for awhile and then went to sleep for the rest of the day!

Look At Me, I'm 2 Months Old!

Java

I must admit it: I'm now hooked on Java's Bowl of Soul. Since I can't have milk, chocolate, or many of my other comfort foods, this has become my new favorite: a "decaf Bowl with whip." I love it!

Dave's Happy Thought

Last weekend, Noah & Marley fell asleep with Dave on the couch. He said it was an amazing feeling, with his son on his chest & his dog at his feet. That will be one of his happy thoughts for a long, long time!

Noah's Voice

Noah has recently found his voice: he loves to coo and "ooh" and "ah" at us now. I absolutely love it! He spends many happy hours lying on his back, talking to us. He does it most often in the morning - Dave & I usually fight over who gets to do the first diaper change of the day!

Eight Weeks

Last weekend, Noah celebrated being 8 weeks old by going to his grandparents' houses for the weekend. We had a great time:

- On Friday, Noah & I went to Ketchum with my sister Heather. It was a beautiful, chilly fall day in the mountains and Noah & I had a lovely time walking around & window shopping.

- Early Saturday morning, Noah was wide awake & ready to go (the early hours are his favorite!), so Dave, my parents & I took him garage sale shopping for the first time. We didn't find much, but we especially enjoyed the stopover at Smith's for treats!

- Our friends Kevin, Fernette & their beautiful kids Kelsey & Kelton came to visit Noah for the first time. Kelsey & Kelton were so good with him - he loved just gazing at them!

- My Mom visited Australia years ago & brought a didgeridoo back for my Dad. Dave got it out & was "playing" it for Noah - it was quite the concert!

- We spent Sunday & Monday out at the Jones farm, and Noah & I rode in the chopper with Papa Jones for the very first time! Noah loved the machine's purr - he was asleep in seconds! We may have to do some more John Deere babysitting sometime!

- You wouldn't believe the amount of stuff we packed for this weekend adventure. We looked like we were moving in! I continue to be amazed at how long it takes us to get out of the house (2 hours this time!) and how many things we need.

Seven Weeks

It's been an eventful week! Noah had another fun bath, took his very first bottle (Mommy coached & Daddy did such a good job!), got serenaded by Michael Spengler before going to the Hyde Park Street Fair, read the Hungry Caterpillar, and found his hands (he loves licking & rolling his fists in his mouth).

Our good boy Marley has recently begun to be a bit jealous. He tries to get in between us and Noah, and likes to spend lots of time lying on us.

NFL Sunday

Noah had a great time watching NFL Sunday last week with Daddy. Go Colts!

Meeting Friends

When Noah was 6.5 weeks, we finally got to take him to the Boise Friends Church (we had been out of town every weekend prior). Everyone was SO eager to meet him! Pastor Gil welcomed him during the service, and Pastor Shawn placed a beautiful red rose on the lecturn in celebration of our little gift from God.

After church, we hung out at the McConaugheys with a whole bunch of folks, and I snapped some pictures of Noah and his perfect little red rose. Unfortunately, he decided that moment to first exercise his grasping reflex, and he got quite upset when he grabbed the part of the stem with tiny little thorns...ouch!

Weighing In

Though breastfeeding was really difficult for the first few weeks, I never had to worry that Noah wasn't getting nourishment. He started gaining weight right away and has been packing on the ounces ever since! We don't weigh him all that often, but here are his stats so far:

* July 26 (birth): 7 lb. 12 oz., 20 in.
* July 31 (5 days): 7 lb. 8 oz., 21 in.
* Aug. 2 (1 week): 7 lb. 13 oz.
* Aug. 6 (11 days): 8 lb. 5 oz.
* Aug. 15 (3 weeks): 9 lb. 4 oz.
* Sept. 6 (6 weeks): 11 lb. 7 oz.

Like Father, Like Son

A week ago, Dave & Noah decided to nap a bit while I took a shower. I came out of the bathroom to find them sleeping in exactly the same position. This happens all of the time - I love it!

Six Weeks

To celebrate his 6 week birthday, Noah decided to be wide awake at 4:30 a.m. So Daddy decided to take him for a drive to get donuts! It was still a bit chilly, so we got him all suited up. And later that day, Daddy & Noah had a little Dance Party USA in the van after Mommy finished nursing him in the Costco parking lot!

Noah also gave Mommy her first hug - he may not have meant to, but he put his arms on my shoulders and leaned his cheek into mine. Heaven!

Going to Grandma's

When Noah was 5 weeks old, we went to Twin Falls & Castleford over Labor Day weekend so he could go to Grandma's!

* He tried out his new trunks while getting in Grammie & Grandpa Redman's swimming pool for the first time.

* We had a great time showing Noah the Twin Falls County Fair, and his Mommy & Daddy thoroughly enjoyed all of the good fair food!

* He visited the First Baptist Church where I grew up, and his Grammie & Grandpa got to introduce him to all of their friends.

* Noah got to spend some time on the Jones farm, and got to meet his Great Grandpa Jones, Cousin John, Great-Great Aunt Vi, Great Aunt Diane & Great Uncle Ivan. It was a wonderful weekend!

Smiles & Coos

We were wide awake in the middle of the night, but that time we didn't care -- Noah smiled at us for the first time on August 29! It was wonderful: he looked up at us and his face lit up. Goodness, I could go for days without sleep on that feeling!

In the last two weeks, he's also found his voice. There's a cooing sound that he makes that absolutely melts your heart. I love it!

Hard To Believe

Dave & I recently discussed just how different our lives are now that we're parents. Here are a few of the little things that we've laughed about:

* When Noah was 4 weeks old, we noticed he was getting really fussy & having digestive issues. This is often due to babies' inability to handle certain foods, so I've willingly laid off of chocolate, caffeine, milk, most dairy products, and tomatoes. Those things used to comprise most of my diet!

* While feeding Noah, there have been several times when he would pee or poop out of his diaper & get it all over us. Instead of rushing to the sink to soak us both with water (my old standard), I've chosen to just sit in it so he could finish a good feeding. Crazy!

* You would not believe the song & dance routines we will come up with to get Noah to stop fussing -- or better yet, to smile!

* While in college, several of my friends noted that I was an absolute bear if I got less than 7 good hours of sleep. Now, I'm shocked & all sorts of excited if I get that many - and it only comes in 2 hour increments!

Noah Goes to California

Shortly after Noah was born, the College Board asked Dave to go to San Diego for an important training, so Noah and I decided to tag along! We were both excited to catch a little CA sun & visit his auntie/uncle & many of our friends in Long Beach.

* Noah was just 3.5 weeks old on his very first plane ride! He did so well, and charmed many of the TSA employees as we took him through the security checkpoints.

* I'm a pretty private person, so I was REALLY nervous about breastfeeding in public (I knew I would have to feed Noah in the airport, the plane, & other places with strangers around). I was sweating bullets while nursing him on our first takeoff, but as the week went on it got easier. By the time we came home, I was an old pro! Nothing like getting out of your comfort zone & being stretched...believe it or not, I'm actually thankful about it. (All you Hood women would be so proud of me!)

* This really was my first time being alone with Noah all day, since we had so many people at our house to help out those first weeks. It took me awhile to figure out how to get a shower (one day in the hotel I put him in the stroller & rolled it into the bathroom so I could watch him). Crazy, figuring out how to share my days with this little man!

* We had such a great time hanging out with my sister Alison & her husband Austin in Costa Mesa. We enjoyed snacks at Jongewaard's Bake 'N Broil, America's Cup, Panera, and Pat & Oscar's, and Noah had his very first In-N-Out experience! (Heaven on a bun!)

* It was REALLY warm while we were there, and Alison & Austin's apt. doesn't have A/C or good air circulation. So Noah & I sweated it out a bit, and still enjoyed the CA heat wave (nothing like 100 degree weather in Boise, mind you!)

* This was the first time that Dave & I returned to CA together since leaving Long Beach in 2003. We had a great time seeing many of our friends & introducing them to Noah, and he celebrated his 1-month-old birthday at Long Beach Friends Church!

* Here are our favorite pics:

- Noah & Daddy hanging out in the hotel

- Noah enjoying In-N-Out

- Auntie Alison's Izzy Skizzito

- Me & Alison at Panera

- Dave & Austin

- Hanging out in adorable overalls in Alison's apt.

- Car trunk aka changing table

- "Airing out" at the Shabels

- Noah & the Shabels (and Tony!)

- The girls & Noah

- Celebrating another successful feeding in the back of the car

- Noah & Daddy in the Hertz van

- Noah & Daddy walking the airport

- Fun in the plane

- Changing & relaxing on the flight home

Three Weeks

At only three weeks old, Noah received his first piece of mail (his Social Security card)! He was so excited he decided to balance it on his head. He was even more excited when his Daddy came home from a week away in Charlotte...

Noah is Tech Savvy!

While Dave was in Charlotte, NC on another College Board trip in August, he received a very special text message:

Goodnight, Daddy. I can't wait to see you! Love, Noah

Two Weeks

Fun times at 2 weeks old: having a bath & meeting Great-Grandma Redman!

The First Night-mare

Dave & I took Noah home from the hospital in the late afternoon on Saturday, July 28. Heading into our first night alone with him, we were tired, overwhelmed, & all of those things that new parents are.

Unfortunately, we were dealing with additional stress: Dave got violently ill that night & was also preparing to leave the next morning. Long ago, when we thought Noah would be born early, Dave scheduled a three-day College Board work trip that ended up falling days after Noah was born. That didn't seem too bad, until Dave ended up spending the night in the downstairs bathroom with me upstairs trying to figure out what to do with Noah. It was horrible! We really wondered what we had gotten ourselves into.

But thankfully the morning came, and "every day is fresh with no mistakes in it" (gotta love Anne of Green Gables), and things seemed much better. We're glad that first night-mare is over!

The Hospital Stay

We stayed at St. Luke's for two days/nights. A few highlights of our time there:

* We love that they offered us the option to "sleep" and have Noah in the nursery. Great in concept, but in reality we were up every two hours or so, between feeding Noah, getting my vitals checked, and taking medicine!

* Nurse Kamron is the best baby floor nurse around. She spent hours with us, listening, sharing, and teaching us everything we might need to know. We would have been lost without her! (I'm sorry to report that she has moved on to another dept. at St. Luke's & is no longer on the 8th floor!)

* I ate the most amazing German chocolate cake while in the hospital. NO, it wasn't St. Luke's cuisine - Dave's fabulous sister Jennifer got it for me from Cottonwood Grille. Seriously - go get some. You have to try that stuff!

* I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I actually ordered & consumed cajun chicken. Problematic for two reasons: "cajun" in hospital speak just means "overly peppered," and most breastfeeding mothers have already figured out that this isn't a good idea...

* So many wonderful folks stopped by to see Noah: my parents & sister Heather; Dave's mom & sister Jennifer; Dave's supervisor Sage & classmate Amy; my supervisor Mary, co-worker Anne & her daughter Madeleine; and our friends Aaron & Carrie and Diane.

* It took us forever to leave the hospital, with feeding Noah forty times, figuring out the carseat, waiting for the wheelchair & getting the massive amount of stuff we accumulated to the car.

* The ride home was quite an experience! I sat in the back of the van with Noah with my pinkie in his mouth (a trick we learned from the nurses - we hadn't discovered pacifiers yet). Dave drove like a grandpa, he was so afraid that Noah's little neck would snap if we turned corners too quickly!

Memories from the Delivery Room...

Here are a few of the little things we want to remember from the delivery room...

* While we waited for the pitocin to kick in, we turned on the TV and watched a bit of Best in Show. That movie is hilarious, even when you're in labor!

* When Noah's head poked out, Dr. Maybach told me to look down (I was concentrating on pushing). The first thing out of my mouth? "Oh my goodness - this is like a sci fi movie!"

* I'll never forget Dave's smile. They gave Noah to the NICU staff first, and he kept running back and forth between Noah and me, saying, "Did you see him?! He's so beautiful!"

* It was amazing to look at Noah for the first time, and to run my finger over his little head...

* Shortly after he was born, my parents, sister, and Dave's mom came in to meet him for the first time. That was amazing to watch!

The Big Day

Little Man Jones wasn't quite ready to enter the world on his own, so we had to push him a little bit...

Dave & I made our way to St. Luke's downtown on Thursday, July 26 at 7:00 a.m. It felt a bit odd walking into the hospital, not rushed and knowing that I would leave without a belly and with a baby! By 8:00 a.m., I was changed and ready to go, and Dr. Maybach arrived to break my water (that was crazy, feeling like I was peeing everywhere!) and turn on the pitocin. We weren't sure how quickly things would get moving, so when Maryann (the best L/D nurse ever) checked me at 9:00 and I had only progressed from 3 to 4 cm, I figured it was going to take forever...

And boy, was I wrong! By the time my parents and sister Heather arrived, the contractions were really going. And by 10:15 or so, they were so rapid and intense that I declared I was done and was going home (and I even tried to get out of the bed at that point). Maryann tipped me off that it might be a great time for an epidural (thank God for her!) and by 10:45, relief was mine. She checked me after the epidural, and I was already at 9.5 cm! We rested a bit, turned on my Enya cd, and I started pushing at about 11:15. Once I got the hang of it, he got moving and Mr. Noah David Jones entered the world at 12:08 p.m. He took his time at first, but once he made up his mind there was no stopping him!

The dr. discovered a bit of meconium when my water broke, so the NICU staff had to be on hand to make sure all was well when he was born. And it was - he was a healthy 7 lb., 12 oz. boy at 20 inches long!

"Relaxing" the Wednesday Before

In preparation for my scheduled induction on Thursday, July 26, Dave and I took work off the Wednesday before to "relax and prepare."

The day had a lovely beginning: sleeping in and a lovely lunch at Goldy's. But after two frustrating hours on the phone trying to accomplish seemingly simple tasks with horrible customer service employees, my blood pressure was up and the day wasn't feeling so relaxing. In an attempt to redeem the evening, Dave decided to get dinner from one of our favorite Boise stops: Guido's. He set out intending to run a few quick errands before picking it up, but that went south, too -- three horrible hours later, he finally came home with our lukewarm dinner and a headache to boot!

We were able to laugh about it while having a lovely meal on our back patio, despite the fact that we started eating dinner at the time we intended to be heading to bed! Oh well...maybe this was meant to prepare us for the uncertainties of parenting?!

Long Time, No Blog!

I know, I know - it's been a long time! But we've been a bit busy...

Noah is now 6 weeks and 4 days old, and we have dozens of stories (and hundreds of pictures!) to share with all of you. So, without further ado, we'll do our best to give you at least the really good highlights thus far...

(We're working on our blog from Java - Noah loves coffeeshops!)

Noah Travels the World