Catch up!!

Wow!  Well it's been a while!  Where to start..I forget where I left off, but I'm sure LOTS has happened since.

Lets see...
Jocelynn had her Baptism on June the 6th.  It was great.  We had a little get together here after.  Although it rained it turned out ok. She was awake and fine during Mass, then when her time to shine came, she fell asleep.  When she was actually Baptized she woke up screaming.  When the Deacon went to draw the sign of the cross on her chest we pulled the 100 year old gown down, and it tore..go figure.  We tore the 100 year old gown.
 

To the left is Dave and Anna, they are the god parents!  We love them.  They both have a great relationship with Jocelynn.  They come over to see her and play with her and buy her wicked cool cloths!!!  We love you Nanny and Paran!


















In other news..We took Jocelynn on her first visit on the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans.  It happened to be my first time there as well!  It was AWESOME!  I loved it!  The baby liked it too.  We saw Penguins, and Otters.  Sea Turtles, Sharks, Tuna, Jelly Fish and Sea Horses..I mean it was all there!  It was great!  
We also got to touch a Sting Ray!

T

This is the Reef Tank.  It is made to symbolize how great oil rigs in the gulf are to sea life!  Notice the sponsors of the Reef Tank.  Besides that, The reef tank is really cool.  Although most of the sea life in it was destroyed for hurricane Katrina, they are building it back up.


Jocelynn has started crawling, and just recently she is pulling herself up.  I cannot believe she is 6 months old already.  She weighs 16lbs 13oz, and its 26 1/2".  

Oh, I almost forgot.  Since the family has invested in a motor home we have been campings fools!  Well we've been twice in the past month or so.  WE LOVE IT!  We go to a little campground in Bay St. Louis.   We camp with some close friends of ours and it's like a mini-vacation.  It's awesome to relax at the pool and just not do anything!







So that's about it, I guess.  We are just waiting for our trip to Boston!  Can't wait!

I roll!

We've mastered the tummy to back roll...today she rolled from her back to tummy!  I can't believe it.  Yesterday I really noticed a "laugh" and today she rolls!  It's amazing how fast things come at you.

You can see the video here!

Not much going on....

I havn't posted in a while and for no good reason.

We have been really busy.  Getting Jocelynn's Baptism in order, getting the camper ready for it's maiden voyage.  Just daily life...and I must say how fast time is going by now-a-days!  

First of all I can't believe in 2 days will be May 1st!  Jocelynn is coming up to 5 months old, Zane and I made 3 years this past month and Nathan is getting SOOOO OLD!  

So first Jocelynn's Baptism is scheduled for June 6th.  We have having the celebration here at our house. 50-60 people will be invited.  Dave and Anna are the godparents.  I am so excited for it.  My theme for the celebration is "I am Jesus' Little Lamb."  We have the menu planned and the invites typed up.  All I have to do is print out the invites and mail them.  The cake I want is a 2 tier white butter cream with a lamb topper that has somewhere on it Jocelynn's name and the saying "I am Jesus' Little Lamb" 

My mom is coming down!   We cannot wait! I am so psyched.  We have plans to go to Grand Isle but since the oil rig blew up in the gulf I'm hoping it doesn't disturb out mini vacation!  If we can't go there maybe we can go camp somewhere else, but it is Memorial Day weekend.  I have been cleaning the camper for the past 4 nights...I think I have finally got most of the stank out.  I've been a carpet cleaning fool!

I had Jocelynn at the Dr. for her pulling at her ears.  Turns out her ears are fine and she is healthy as can be.  But we did get her weighed she is 15lbs 3oz!  I can't believe how big she is getting!

Lately she has been doing the normal things.  We are working on sitting up.  I've noticed the past few days she has a little laugh...it's so cute.  Kind of a lull right now with that.

Anyways, that's all to report!  Keep checking back!!!

Laura

Professional Pics!!

I have FINALLY received the password to the professional pictures we took a couple weeks ago!!! If you go here and click on "proofing" the password is jocelynn.  The pictures will be online for 3 months.  I am so psyched!  ENJOY!

Jocelynn is 4 months old!

WOW!  I can't believe it!  It has already been 4 months!  As of right now she weighs 14lbs 8 oz, and is 24" long!  At her 4 month well-baby visit everything is going good.  She got her shots and is growing strong!

She is hardcore teething but no teeth yet.  As for milestones she rolls over, gives kisses and loves to smile!  


We are working on sitting up.  She can sit on her own for only a few seconds so we are getting there!

Cloth Diapering!

So I did it!  We made the decision to go to cloth diapers.  I'm using prefolds and covers and wraps.  I haven't totally made the transition on Jocelynn yet becuase I only have 12 diapers right now.  I am so excited.  I can only imagine all the money we are going to save!  No running out for diapers or worrying about not having any diapers!

For those of you that haven't seen cloth diapers now a days, they are not like the old times!  There are NO pins, I use a little "T" shaped rubber thing called a "Snappie."  The Snappie makes it SUPER easy to keep the diaper snug and tight.


 

With the prefold choice of diapers there is some "learning" that needs to be done by whoever is going to be changing Jocelynn's diapers.  There are many different "folds" you can do, but you don't have to know origami to fold them!  I use an unbleached Chinese prefold.  There are MANY videos on Youtube that talk about cloth diapering.

For covers I chose for now to go with Thirsties covers and I have 1 Thirsties Duo wrap.


I do plan on getting a couple "All-In-Ones" diapers.  Essentially they are just like disposables as far as there is no folding involved, but you don't throw them away.  Extra easy for those that don't want to deal with folding.


I am so psyched we chose to do this.  I wanted to since I was pregnant and was so shied away from it, but deep down I knew I wanted to cloth diaper and I am doing it.  I figure if I can breast feed I can do ANYTHING!

Easter

Jocelynn's first Easter was great!  Sticking with tradition I hid the Easter Baskets and not to my surprise Zane found them with ease!! Jocelynns basket was bigger then she is but she LOVED it!  It was full of toys and teethers, rattles and jamies!  I just love the basket it self!  After finding and opening the baskets we had breakfast and just hung out until the evening when we went over Zanes parents house.  It was nice just to hang out the 3 of us...

Jocelynn's first Easter dress was too cute!  She wore a yellow and green dress with white sandles and a big green flower in her hair!  She just looked so cute!

 Well Memere and Pawpaw hooked Jocelynn up with a NEW toy and she LOVES it!!  It's a jumper!  

It's Easter time!

This weekend is Easter, and what comes along with Easter? The Easter bunny! So, tomorrow we will go get our first picture with the Easter Bunny! I can't wait!

What's been going on here is Dave and Anna's Couples Shower was this past weekend. Zane and I went (I was under the weather but went anyways) I had my first Capt./Coke in over a year, it's was so nice to be out the house with Zane and chillin with his friends.

I'm feeling MUCH better now, some rest Motrin 800 and the heating pad worked wonders on my nerve. I can actually walk.

Besides that we don't really have much going on. We had 15 yards of dirt dropped off last weekend probably about 1/2 is still in our front yard so Zane pretty much works on that every weekend.

The weather has been AWESOME so we are out every day, walking or swinging..anything! Enjoy it untill the hot comes!

New Video on Youtube

I posted a couple new videos today on youtube here are the links

Jocelynn being fussy during tummy time

Jocelynn swinging (again)

trying to roll over

Or you can go directly to our page

N.O. visit with Alicia/Cabildo

***I posted links in this entry! There are links to the Riverwalk, the Fudgery and the Cabildo***


Today was GREAT! First my partner-in-crime from high school (Hull) visited New Orleans of course I had to go see her and her family! What a great time we had.

Last night was rainy, so we went out there and visited had to do the Riverwalk (because of the rain), but that was OK because we went to the Fudgery. Got to see them make the fudge which was cool and got a free sample! Of course I had to buy some fudge chocolate/peanut butter - it's all gone.

Today we went out to visit with them again before they had lunch reservations at Emril's restraunt. So we did the French Market this morning which has changed since last time we went...it was WAY better. It was great to visit with her and her family! They went off to lunch and Zane and I did the Cabildo.

The Cabildo is currently a museum, but was the location of where the Louisiana Purchase was signed and was used for government back in the day it was also destroyed in the Great Fire of New Orleans got rebuilt only to catch fire again. The museum houses all sorts of cool artifacts that tell the tale of how Louisiana became what it is. What was especially cool to me what that it had the Death Mask of Napoleon.

It was FREEZING today in New Orleans. It is going to get warmer later in the week, I guess 70's...I'm exhausted! Going to bed! Night y'all!

Youtube Videos!

I'm gonna start posting videos to youtube...keep an eye out for them!

Jocelynn's follow up/BLW

Took Jocelynn today to the Pedi for a follow up for the RSV. Dr. said everything looks good, she weighs 13 lbs 3oz, 23 in. long! He said she is good on the growth charts. She still has a bit of a cough he said to give her the breathing treatments "as needed" if she is coughing a bunch.

I've been looking into what we are going to do when Jocelynn turns 6 months and is ready for other foods. Been looking at baby led weaning.

Baby-led weaning (often also referred to as BLW) is a method of gradually weaning a baby from a milk diet onto solid foods. It allows a baby to control his solid food intake by self-feeding from the very beginning of the weaning process.

Infants are offered a range of foods to provide a balanced diet from around 6 months. They often begin by picking up and licking the food, before progressing to eating. Babies typically begin self feeding around 6 months, although some will reach for food as early as 5 months and some will wait until 7 or 8. The intention of this process is that it is tailored to suit each particular baby and their personal development. The 6 month guideline provided by the World Health Organisation is based on research indicating the internal digestive system matures over the period 4-6 months. It seems reasonable to posit that the gut matures in tandem with the baby's external faculties to self feed.

Initial self-feeding attempts often result in very little food ingested as the baby explores textures and tastes, but the baby will soon start to swallow and digest what is offered. Breastfeeding is continued in conjunction with weaning and milk is always offered before solids in the first 12 months. Although breastfeeding is the ideal precursor to baby led weaning (as the baby has been exposed to different flavours via its mother's breast milk and the jaw action used during breastfeeding helps the baby learn to chew), it is also entirely possible to introduce a bottle-fed baby to solids using the BLW method. Bottle-fed babies can successfully wean using BLW, although it may take a little longer for the baby to get used to flavors and develop the ability to chew.

Although I don't think the process as a whole is right for me, I think I will be using some of the practices of BLW but still introduce purees.

Week in review March 12

We had a pretty typical week this week. The weather this week started out CRAZY. For the first half of the week we were under a tornado watch with crazy rainy weather. The temp was about 40-70 depending on the time of day and day it self. By Thursday it started turning into Spring. It was sunny and 70!! Great Spring weather. But it doesn't last long down here before you know it, it will be hot and HUMID! I can't wait.

Besides that Jocelynn turns 3 months this weekend, the 14th! I can't believe how fast it has gone already! I wanted to get her ears pierced at 3 months, so we did. We went to Clairs at Tanger Outlet and it went WAY better then I thought it would and she looks so cute. She did cry (obviously) but by the time we got home she was smiling!

Also this weekend is Nanny's 1 year anniversary - which is also the 14. First I can't believe it's been a year. Even only knowing Nanny for a couple years, she had such an impact on my life here. I can see why Zane turned out the way he did with such great people raising him. I do believe things happen for a reason although I don't know why people like Nanny and Michael had to leave us so soon, but I do believe that Jocelynn was born just at the right time for this family. With someone like Nanny gone, Jocelynn seems to fit in just right and using Nannys name, Orie, for Jocelynn's middle name couldn't have been more perfect.

Lets see...this weekend in the St. Patricks Day Parade Zane is gonna drive the "chase truck" for Zapps Potato Chips. I'm just gonna sit this one out. That's Sunday.

That's about it for now! As always I miss you all and can't wait to see you soon!!!

lots of love!

Laura, Zane and Jocelynn
xoxo

Get caught up....Zane

Zane is still Zane!

He is the love of my life! Lets see what he has been up to. Football season is over so he is always keeping himself busy. He is usually working 6 days a week, when he isn't working he is working on something around the house or on the camper. He still buys movies, and we watch them when we can, which isn't often now with Jocelynn.

He spends time with his chair when he can, and sleeps late when he can.

Get caught up....Laura

Well lets see...

Life is baby now! I'm not working because "I quit" LOL! I'm still breastfeeding Jocelynn, and it has gotten 1000 times better! I love being a stay at home mom. Everything about it, from taking care of Jocelynn (and Zane at times!) to doing the laundry and dishes.

I am 12 weeks postpartum, 8 weeks I got the diabetes test and it was negative so I don't have diabetes, but next pregnancy I probably will get Gestational Diabetes (yea!)

To be honest, my days consist pretty much of keeping Jocelynn happy, making dinner and all! But I love it.

Get caught up....Jocelynn

It's Sunday March 7th.

What's going on with Jocelynn;

Lets see last night she slept "through the night." Her last feeding was at 11:30 and she didn't wake up until 7:30 this morning. It's great, but I wish she would have told me because I was up every 2 hours.

At her last doctors appointment she weighs 12 lbs 3 oz, and 23" long! She is growing so fast.

She is getting over RSV which I guess is like a respiratory infection. She gets 2 breathing treatments daily, she is ok with them for the first 5 mins, then after that she doesn't want anything to do with them.

She is starting to grab for toys! It is so cute. She LOVES to smile, she is such a happy baby. Her best time is first thing in the morning when she wakes up, she coos, and talks and is all smiles. I love that time with her, it is "our" time!

She loves to talk! We have conversations all day long. We love going to the park and swing on the swings, she hates the car seat and very rarely sleeps in the car.

I always said, "My baby won't sleep in the bed with me," yea well I lied. I decided since I am breastfeeding it is SUPER easy for me to just roll over and feed her when she is sleeping in bed with me. Although we are gathering all we need to transition her to her crib. I would like for her to start sleeping in her crib soon.

Welcome!

I decided to start this blog for my very missed and much thought of family to the north. I want you to be able to take part in Jocelynn's life as well as the somewhat daily activities of what Zane and I do and what not.

I also think it will be cool to use this as somewhat of a journal so I can look back and see what we were doing.

Thanks for following us! We miss all of you!

With Love,
Zane, Laura and Jocelynn
xoxo