Jonah- Month 5

Jersey day at school.


Wow- my little boy is already 5 months old! Where has the time gone? Oh no- that means it's been 5 months since Jonah was born and I still have maternity weight I haven't lost!

Where do we even begin this month... Jonah has changed so much and is definitely turning into a "mama's boy!" I see little changes in him everyday and he is crossing many more milestones each day. Just last week Todd said "Jonah doesn't even look like a baby anymore!"

Jonah got yet another tooth (bottom tooth #2) this month. I found it while I was changing his diaper one evening; he smiled at me and there it was, the most beautiful little pearly white jagged little tooth. Of course he is still drooling like crazy and still requires a bib all the time otherwise he will soak his clothes in saliva. At this rate he should have a full mouth of teeth by the time he's 8 months old.

We've expanded Jonah's pallet this month. Not only does he love sweet potatoes, he loves squash, sweet peas and green beans as well. I tend to gag a bit at the green veggies because they really stink but he loves them so much that he spazes out (waves his arms incessantly) if you don't feed him spoonfuls quick enough. I am clearly convinced that babies have absolutely NO taste buds at this age! It is impossible Jonah can actually taste what he is eating because the smell is so disgusting and Stella tends to run of the kitchen and says "I'm outta here that stuff stinks mommy!" 

Yummy cereal!

Jonah is beginning to grow out of his pumpkin car seat. Not only are the straps maxed out at the largest settings but at times when he has his winter coat on it can be very difficult to latch the chest straps. The seat alone weighs about 10lbs so when you add my fat baby (19lbs+), the pumpkin seat can be back breaking! I even find myself panting walking up and down the stairs with him, then I remind myself that he weighs nearly 20 pounds now (great exercise). We're flying through his wardrobe...each week when I put away his laundry, I find myself moving another outfit to the "too small" bin. Jonah even moved up to size 3 diapers this month. The size 2 diapers were barely fitting his Buddha belly. He's filling out and getting really cute chubby legs with (rolls) of course.

"Are these people really my relatives?"


Not only does Jonah smile but if you tickle him or make funny faces at him he will chuckle and giggle at you. In this picture (see above) Jonah is wearing a onesie that Teta bought in Hilton Head this past summer while we were there on vacation. It reads "Are these people really my relatives?" Are you surprised that Teta bought yet another crazy onesie. No matter where she is she feels the need to buy the kids stuff!

Sibblings

Jonah is able to grasp things very well now. When I place a rattle or toy in his hand it makes his way to his mouth immediately. Jonah also loves to tug on my hair and I've had to limit wearing necklaces and earrings when holding him because he will pull on them. Poor Stella has had her glasses torn off her face by Jonah on a number of occasions. He loves to tug on her hair too and I sometimes have to remind Stella that if she wants to play with Jonah she has to remember that he doesn't mean it when he accidentally pulls her hair or glasses.

 

Jonah is now rolling over from belly to back but not from back to belly. He is still quite the chatter box still and on February 11th, he said "momma!" There is nothing more amazing then hearing your children say "momma" I love talking to him and having him babble and coo back at me. He's like a little person and can respond in his own little way.



Jonah is sitting really well and soon enough we won't need the beloved Bumbo seat anymore to hold him up. He still loves his excersaucer and loves playing all of the toys on it. I now have found myself dragging him and the excersaucer into the kitchen while I'm cooking and baking because if we're home alone or if  Todd and Stella are in the basement and he can't see one of us then he freaks out. It just facilitates my life and allowes me to do more when I pull the excersaucer into another room with me. Just this week Todd had to raise it 1 level because Jonah is getting so big.



I can giggle!



I had to go on my first business trip since Jonah was born (Orlando, Florida) earlier this month. I never like traveling without Todd or Stella and I especially didn't like traveling and leaving my little baby boy behind. Todd said that Stella was such a great help him while I was away. She's like a little mommy to him and just adores him!

Hanging out with Gido!

Uncle Mikey makes funny noises!



Jonah is beginning to know who people are. When you say his name he makes eye contact with you and will look in your direction.  He just lvoes and adores his Uncle Mikey and smiles at him when he beat boxes or sings to him. Uncle Mikey and Jonah have a unique bond that I doubt will ever be replicated. Jonah especially loves lounging with his Gido. They are buddies, Gido will sing church songs to him and they even hang out and watch lots of Fox News together.

Jonah celebrated his first Valentines Day earlier month! He finger painted a wooden photo frame at school and his teachers took a picture of him wearing a Valentines heart antenna headband and put it in the frame. And of course in classic Teta tradition, she bought the kids Hallmark toys that make talk and make noise. Stella received a cutest pillow pet and Jonah a little puppy that talks and sings and moves his cute little ears. The folks at Hallmark just love Teta and know that she is a sucker for holiday toys that sing, dance or make noise!

Mommy's little Valentine!

I cannot believe how much Jonah has changed this month and how much he's grown. I know I say that each month but I cant get over how much he's grown and changed these past few weeks. I look forward to watching him cross more milestones and get bigger and bigger. I am truly such a lucky mom and I'm so blessed to have a wonderful family. I can't fathom my life without Todd, Stella or Jonah!

Walk Like An Egyptian!

I've never blogged about political issues in the past but I can't help it now since what’s going on thousands of miles away in my motherland of Egypt is not only affecting all of our family and friends that still live there today but all of the world too! Who would have thought that an 18 day revolution led by the young people of Egypt would oust President Mubarak shattering more than 3 decades of his dictatorship and overturn established "order" in the Arab world!?! In all honesty, if you would have asked me 18 days ago what the outcome would have been, I would have never predicted an outcome of such magnitude!



I have never been more proud to be an Egyptian like I have since January 25th! The people have spoken, they want to be heard and most of all they want to see change after nearly 30 years of tyranny/dictatorship. Did you know that 60% of the population in Egypt is under the age of 30 and 90% if that 60% is unemployed? These young people are determined and want to be heard and their courage should inspire us all!

I read the most wonderful article from the New York Times written by Nicholas D. Kristof entitled "We Are All Egyptian." He articulates the pure determination, astounding grit, and, at times, heartbreaking suffering the Egyptians have faced and to no surprise these are people that are willing to give their life for their country saying "If I die, this is for my country." Kristof ends his article by saying "The lion-hearted Egyptians I met on Tahrir Square are risking their lives to stand up for democracy and liberty, and they deserve our strongest support — and, frankly, they should inspire us as well. A quick lesson in colloquial Egyptian Arabic: Innaharda, ehna kullina Misryeen! Today, we are all Egyptians! "

Now that Mubarak is out we are not sure of what is yet to come for Egypt and its people. Who will be in power next and what will the Egyptian people experience now? What trials and tribulations are facing Egypt, it's people and the stability of the Arab world? What about the Coptic Christian minority in Egypt, will they finally be given the freedom to practice their religion like the 92% Muslim population? 



Todd and I riding horses around the pyramids in 2000.



 So while Egypt's fate and the fate of its people are still unknown, I want to remember the wonderful times I've had visiting Egypt. Whether it was cruising the Nile River, riding horses in Giza while experiencing the beauty of the pyramids and the sphinx, relaxing on the gorgeous beach's of Sharm El Sheikh, strolling through the streets of Heliopolis and Shubra or admiring the treasures and antiquities at the Cairo Museum.

Thankfully our family that remains in Egypt are all safe. We were left in a lurch  for a few days when the internet and cell service was down in Egypt but we have regained contact with all of them. They ave been remaining indoors to ensure their safety and now that the demonstrations are over they will continue to go about their day to day business.  I pray that any new regime that takes power will honor the christian religion and not persecute our brothers and sisters in Christ as they have in the past.

"Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people..." Isaiah 19:25



Blessed!

I don't know what's wrong with me lately! I know that I am a very passionate person (which sometimes gets me in trouble because it also makes me a very stubborn person). In fact, I'm probably more emotional than most women (I like to blame it on all of the infertility drugs and hormones that has been pumped through my body over the years). But as of late, I have been filled with so much emotion.....




Just yesterday, I was remembering and reminiscing that last year around this time (in early February) we had just found out that I was nearly 5 weeks pregnant with Jonah. Neither of my pregnancies were easy by any means! I was on bed rest for nearly 16 weeks total with Stella. I had to have several liters of fluid drained from my belly (due to ovarian hyper-stimulation), I was hospitalized twice for pre-term labor and that pregnancy began with me carrying triplets and ended with a singleton.

My pregnancy with Jonah was no cake walk either. I was put on bed rest early on for spotting (causing me not to be able to travel to my companies annual sales meeting in Orlando), diagnosed with gestational diabetes, had borderline high blood pressure and severe sciatic pain.

Would I do it all over again? ABSOLUTELY! Look at the 2 beautiful and precious gifts, I've been blessed with. Hmmm...maybe this is why I've been so emotional lately.

I just love watching Stella and Jonah interacting together. She just absolutely adores him. To be honest, I was initially concerned about having 2 kids that were 7 years apart. You see, I am 10 years older than my little sister, Sarah, and felt like and technically was the only child for a longest time. I resented her when she was born because I wasn't the center of my parents attention anymore and when I was 15 and she was 5 I would be stuck babysitting her. It wasn't until we were older that we became best friends and now I can't even begin to fathom my life without her! I'm definitely very blessed and lucky to have her, I don't know if she would say the same about me! LOL


So when Todd and I began discussing starting a family, I made him promise me come hell or high water that we would never have just one child! I remember telling him once "I hated being the only child for 10 years and I never want to do that to another child!"

So as Stella got older, and I still couldn't get pregnant without the help of modern medicine (aka infertility treatments and infertility drugs), I began to worry and even panic! We tried several times to get pregnant after Stella, all of which either resulted in miscarriages or no success. We struggled with the decision to keep seeking the aid of modern medicine again. In 2007, several years after Stella's birth I was diagnosed with DIL (Drug Induced Lupus), likely as a result of several years of being on infertility meds and undergoing infertility treatments. Infertility medications put such a lot of strain on your body and organs to begin with, but add to it having an auto immune disease like Lupus can make it even dangerous and even life threatening. 

After a lot of prayer and soul searching, we decided to roll the dice and give it one more FINAL try with the help of infertility meds/treatments! If it worked, great and if not, then we would begin researching other means like possibly adoption. Then on February 1, 2010 we received the news that we had been long been waiting to hear...we were PREGNANT (see my post We're absolutely positive!)!

So here we are exactly 1 year later and nothing makes me happier (or more emotional) than watching Stella and Jonah together. She loves to help us with him and will do just about anything for him except change his diaper (I can't say I can blame her for not wanting to help with that). Stella will read to him, sing to him, play with him and he just loves it! Jonah smiles at Stella, as if to say "I know that your my sissy!"

Although they are a little more than 7 years apart, I know that Stella will always watch over him and mother him as she does now and when he gets older I know that Jonah will look up to her with such admiration. I have no doubt in my mind that they will always love each other and will look out for each other as much as my sister and I do.

So if I've been a little emotional lately, it's probably because when I look over at my 2 little miracles, I realize that I AM BLESSED!