A year of firsts

This year we are celebrating many firsts with Jaden. It's so exciting and it makes me a little emotional to think of it!

Jaden is now 6.5 months. At her recent appt we got the wonderful news we love hearing - she is a healthy thriving 6 mo old. She's now 15.7 lbs and 27 inches long. She's hitting all the developmental milestones and boy has she found her voice! She's a little chatterbox and will yell just to hear herself yell!!

At her 6 mo appt

This past week her 1st tooth broke through. Thank goodness she's handling it very well. She's been a little cranky and clingy, but that's it :) She's so close to crawling. She is rocking on her hands and knees and we're watching in anticipation of the first crawl.

Here are some recent pictures. Enjoy!

Much love,
Christy, Benny, and Jaden

Dear Blog...

Dear Blog (and friends that read you),

I'm sorry I've been so neglectful over the past couple of months. You see, I have this crazy, beautiful life now that has me running in so many directions. I know you are important too because you are my way of keeping my friends/family up to date with what's going on in my world.

I promise to be better about updating you. I have so many things I want to share with everyone. I feel like it's been so long I don't even know where to start!! Well, this weekend I'm going to update you on what's been going on with us. Jaden is getting big so fast and I want to share some new milestones we are hitting.

Thanks for understanding.

Your friend,
Christy

Update on contest...Need your vote again!

Please see the post below regarding the contest I entered Jaden in. The rules changed today and everyone was reset to 0%. If you voted before 5pm, please go back and do it one more time. Only 1 vote per email address is allowed now. Thanks for your support!

http://www.magic107.com/pages/hbvote.html

Vote for Jaden as Central FL's Most Huggable Baby!

I entered Jaden in the Magic 107.7 Central FL's Most Huggable Baby Contest. Round 1 for her gallery started this week and will end Tuesday, Oct 20. Please go to http://www.magic107.com/pages/hbvote.html to vote for her. She's in the 5th photo in the froggy towel. You can vote multiple times as long as you do it manually. Thank you so much for your vote!!

Much love,
Benny, Christy, and Jaden

5 months and counting

**Tissue Alert** This might be a bit sappy...darn hormones are raging again!

Jaden is now 5 months old. I know I've said it before and I'll say it again, and I'll probably say it everyday for the rest of my life...I can not believe how fast she grows.

Seems like yesterday it was just the two of us.
Seems like yesterday I bought that pregnancy test along with a bottle of wine!
Seems like yesterday that I stood in the bathroom in disbelief, not knowing whether to cry or laugh...I did both!
Seems like yesterday that I had the greatest pregnancy :)
Seems like yesterday that we had to stop by Starbucks on the way to the hospital!
Seems like yesterday I was bouncing on my exercise ball trying to deal with the pain I was feeling during labor.
Seems like yesterday that this little munchkin came into the world with her head full of hair and sweet little face.

I really can't believe how fast time flies. I wonder why I thought I was so busy before. LOL!

Here are her stats up to her 4 mo appt.
Birth - 7.6 lbs & 18 in
2 mo - 11 lbs & 23.5 in
4 mo - 13.10 lbs & 25.5 in

4 month appt at her Dr's office

She's a healthy girl. And she's a happy girl :) I just love seeing her smiling face and giving her kisses all over. She's a lot of fun and loves to "talk", laugh, kick, etc. I suspect that she will start crawling pretty soon since she's scooting backwards now. I have a feeling that we might have our hands full. I'm already seeing a personality emerge...wonder who she's most like!?!?

She's sleeping pretty well at night. I worked with a lady on babycenter.com and she helped us tremendously with sleep training. I usually put Jaden down between 7-8pm and Benny gives her a "dreamfeed" around 12:30-1am and she sleeps through until 7:20am (sometimes she wakes around 5:30am but I can nurse her and she goes right back to sleep).

Right before bed I give her a partial bottle to top her off and we rock, I sing to her, and we say our prayers. That is one of my favorite times with her (ranks right up there with the mornings that she's in bed with me and Benny and giving her a bath :) One of the reasons I love this time so much is that it allows me to look around her room and see all the things that were given to us. I can pick any item in the room and know who gave it to us and that warms my heart. I also look at the green walls and the bear and bunny decor and I don't regret for a minute choosing that theme/color. It's such a sweet theme and the room is very calming. I just love it and I know Jaden will love it one day soon as well!

She found her thumb and is learning to self soothe.

Our first stroll in the new jogging stroller. I think she enjoyed it!

Until next time...

Much love,
Christy, Benny, and Jaden

Ch-ch-ch-ch-Changes!

Wow, so many changes in such a short time!

From Jaden's changing looks to her unpredictable sleep habits, from my feel good hormones to my hair falling out, things are changing quickly with the Jones girls (yes, Benny's had his fair share of changes as well!).

We go back to the Dr. in a week for Jaden's 4 month appt. I'm looking forward to seeing how much she's grown. Here are her stats so far:

Birth - 7.6 lbs & 18 in
2 mo - 11 lbs & 23.5 in

She was doing great with sleeping, but a couple of weeks ago she started waking up in the middle of the night again and wakes up at a different hour every day! Yesterday she was up at 5am. Today it's almost 7:30am and she's still asleep! I'm not complaining...it's giving me time to blog :) I do look forward to some consistency again though. Benny and I are now alternating our nights with who gets up with Jaden so we can attempt to get a longer stretch of sleep and be rested enough to make it to the gym in the evenings.

I have to admit that I've had a setback when it comes to the gym. I was doing the morning workout and I really enjoyed it because I got a great start to my day. I plan to at least get some stretching in during the morning hours and do my gym routine in the evening starting next week. Benny goes back to regular work hours next week so we'll be getting into a different routine (not that we've had one for a few weeks now!). I think we'll also try moving Jaden to her crib next week. So, stay tuned for some interesting blogs on how we are handling these changes.

I miss my feel good pregnancy hormones...pregnancy was an awesome time for me. Now I'm experiencing a lot of low back pain which I'm told is from my hips and ligaments trying to go back to normal (tightening back up from the stretching out they did in order to prepare for childbirth). And I'm losing my hair like crazy! Really, there is hair everywhere in our bathroom. I read that we lose around 100-125 strands a day normally, but while pregnant those wonderful hormones lock the hair in and around 12 weeks post-partum we start losing hair again, but at a rate of about 500 strands a day!!!

Here are some recent pictures of Jaden. She is constantly smiling and I'm starting to hear a few belly laughs every now and then. We have been blessed with a very happy baby!

Jaden likes to watch TV!

Life is crazy, life is busy, life is not the same as we once knew, but...

Anyone recognize that the blog title is another song reference?!?

Much love, Christy, Benny, and Jaden

I'm sick...ugh!!

So, I'm doing all the things to keep healthy and I get sick :( I was fine last weekend and then on Tuesday it hit me hard! I have a sinus infection and double ear infection...all without any warning signs.

I guess I've been running on adrenaline for the last 3 1/2 months and didn't realize that my body was at a breaking point. I honestly have been feeling very good since Jaden was born. A little tired (okay, a lot!!), but that's to be expected, right?

I've given myself permission to relax, skip the gym, chill out until I feel better (hopefully by Monday if not sooner). I know that the best way for me to recover is to eat healthy and sleep, and then I can hit the gym full force again.

I just started an 8-week fitness challenge last week and had to put that on the back burner until I get over this. I may have lost one week out of the eight, but I'll come back fighting hard to make up lost time. An extra couple hundred dollars is an extra incentive to run a little faster and that dough could be well spent around here!

So, send me some healthy vibes and wish me luck in kicking some booty (while losing my booty!) in the fitness challenge!

Are you a Superwoman?

Another song reference..."Superwoman" by Alicia Keys. If you haven't heard this song yet, you owe it to yourself to give it a listen.

I hear this song and it gets me thinking, moving, ready to take on the world! There have been times I've felt like Superwoman in the past, but nothing like I do these days. I'm busy from the time I get up until I lay my head down at night (just like many other Superwomen I know).

I check out my clothes before I walk out the door to make sure I'm spit-up free, I have calluses on my hands from carrying the car seat, and my body's not quite the same as it was before baby (but I'm working hard to change that!).

Still when I’m a mess
I still put on a vest
With an S on my chest
Oh yes
I’m a Superwoman

I'm a wife, mother, sister, daughter, granddaughter, friend, health coach as well as many, many more titles. I feel like Superwoman, but do I really want that hefty title too?!? There's so much to do in a day and I am trying to give up the feeling that I have to do it all. I will remember what they tell us before take off and to put on my oxygen mask first because I have to take care of me before I can take care of everyone else.

I don't have the gold cuffs to deflect bullets, so I have to stay strong in other ways. I will do the things that will keep me strong and healthy and give me the energy to take care of my precious family (eating healthy, exercise, and getting my rest).

Oh yes, I am a Superwoman!
And I gladly accept that title, too :)

You make me better!

I love music and you'll probably find that I refer to songs often. There's a song called "You Make Me Better" by Ne-Yo. Lately it's been playing in my head over and over. I think it's because I've become so disciplined with getting organized, having a tight schedule in the morning, and an evening routine. I've always wanted to be a morning person, but until Jaden came along, I was glued to my bed and couldn't hit snooze enough!!

With going back to work it's critical that we have a routine. I'm up at 5am to pump, at the gym by 5:50am, back home and in the shower by 6:45am and have Jaden up to nurse by 7:20am. She has to be finished by 7:45am so Daddy can take her to daycare. I've been a little late to work a few times and those are the times I couldn't drag myself out of bed to get to the gym. I had to listen to my body those days and give it the extra sleep time it needed. But I realize that I MUST get to bed on time (10:00-10:30pm) so that I follow the routine.


When we get home we have to wash bottles and pump parts, get our clothes ready for the next day, possibly give her a bath, and any other prep work that's needed for the next day. I'm a person that likes structure so it's working for us :) She definitely makes me better!

Jaden in her Super Seat.
Looks like she's dancing...she got it from her mama!!

I'm continuing to nurse her and that has to be one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life! I truly enjoy nursing her because it's our special time together, but it takes a lot of commitment to pull out that pump daily. I want to be able to nurse her for a year, but I'm going to break it down in 3 month goals and take it day by day.

She's now 3 months old and I can't believe how fast time is going by and how big she is getting. She's developing a little personality and smiling so much now. And what a "talker" she is...I think we're going to be in trouble when she really starts talking! She is sleeping close to 7 hrs a night and that's such a blessing. She's our little night owl and her Daddy has to put her to bed each night around 12:30.


Daycare is going well. I just love her daycare provider and have complete trust and confidence in her. I can honestly say that I don't worry about her at all while I'm at work. I know Jaden enjoys having the other children talk/play with her and she'll really enjoy it once she's old enough to play with them.

Work has been tough and it's mainly becuase I've had to jump back in in the middle of a lot of chaos.

I had a friend remind me that I just gave birth, I can do anything and that being a mother is empowering.
Wow, she is right about that! (Thanks Sandy!)

Mesmerized by the mobile and mirror.
She still keeps those little fists balled up!

Oh, how I love thee...

I had great intentions on keeping up with the blog, but my extra time is spent sleeping these days!

Jaden is 11 weeks old today. She's growing so fast and I can't believe how quickly my time at home with her has gone by. I have to go back to work Friday and I'm not looking forward to leaving her. I am completely comfortable with her daycare provider and I know it will be great for her to be around other children so it's for selfish reasons that I don't want to leave her each day. My heart has jumped out of my body and grown legs! I'm so in love with Jaden and I'm in awe at the little things she does that makes my heart melt.



Here are some of the things I love:

• seeing her wake up so happy, cooing and smiling
• hearing her breathe in my ear
• smelling her sweet breath
• seeing her smile and get calm when I sing to her (maybe she's really laughing at me!)
• seeing the cute expressions she makes when sleeping...I wonder what she's dreaming about
• seeing her sleep peacefully
• watching her with her daddy and him with her :)
• when she looks at me so sweetly when she's nursing

I could go on and on. I love how I love my life!!

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our breath away.

Eat, Sleep, Poop...REPEAT

The title describes the first month and a half of Jaden's life. We're glad someone in the house has been getting some sleep!! I would say the first 3-4 weeks were the worst, but now we are starting to see some patterns forming. Around six weeks is the magical time when she started sleeping longer - 5 hours at a time which is considered a full night's sleep for a baby - not for me, I miss my 8 hr stretches...those were the days :)

Right now she goes to sleep from 11pm - 5am and again from 5:30am-7:30 am. But she likes to surprise us every now and then and change the schedule to be wide awake at 4am! Those are the rough nights!

Last week Jaden's Grandma Jones and Aunt Rhoda stayed with us for the week. It was a great visit for everyone. I enjoyed having a little free time to get out of the house each day and even enjoy my first post-partum massage...AHHHH!

Jaden will be 2 months old next week. I can't believe how fast time is flying by! She has changed so much. I can tell she is gaining weight, she is smiling, and she is starting to "talk" to us a lot! She wakes up in such a good mood each day and I love seeing her smiling face looking up to me waiting to be picked up.

Lots of love,
Christy, Benny, and Jaden

Where do I begin???

Oh my goodness, life has been turned upside down since we've come home. I don't even know what day of the week it is anymore!!

Jaden will be 4 weeks old this Wednesday and I'm going to attempt to recap what has gone on since she was born.

Brief birth story:
My water broke on April 21 at 7pm. The midwife on duty gave me a couple of options if I didn't start labor on my own. We chose to wait it out as long as possible and went to the hospital the next morning. I still wasn't having any contractions :( We took our time driving to the hospital and had to make a stop at our favorite place...Starbucks! We arrived around 7am and I walked for a little while after being admitted hoping to start labor, but no such luck. I was bummed that they wanted to induce because I wanted to go all natural, no drugs, etc. They started me on Pitocin at 10:30am and I finally started feeling some contractions. By 3:30pm I wasn't enjoying labor so much and decided to receive Stadol. My midwife said that would take the edge off, but she lied (just kidding!). Really, it didn't do anything but make me feel drunk - the pain was still there. So there I am feeling like I drank 10 glasses of wine, couldn't focus on anyone, and I'm still in pain!! By 5:00pm I was ready for the epidural since the midwife told me it would be another 4 hours...there was no way I was going to endure this kind of pain for that much longer. I finally got the epi around 5:45pm and became a new woman!!! The next several hours were a breeze and our sweet Jaden arrived at 10:35pm.

Welcome Jaden:
Jaden Addison Jones was born April 22, 2009 at 10:35pm. She was 7lbs, 6oz, and 18 inches long.



Week 1:
We came home on Saturday after having to treat Jaden for a slight case of jaundice. It was nice to be home, but also a little scary knowing that we were on our own now! My mom came over on Sunday and stayed through Thursday. It was great having her around to help out with Jaden, cooking, cleaning, etc. When she left Thursday it was tough for me to say goodbye. It was great having someone to chat with when Jaden was sleeping. This week was interesting as I never thought I would be talking so much about poop and celebrating when Jaden pooped!! It was an important topic because the Dr. told us that she needed to excrete the jaundice...so we were on poop watch! LOL!!

She had her first check up this week and is back up to her birth weight. She's healthy and everything looked great.

Jaden under the lights to treat jaundice

Week 2:
This was by far the toughest week for me because I was really tired and had some serious hormone changes going on. I found out how important it is to stay in touch with friends and have a little alone time.

This was also the week I got to celebrate my 1st Mother's Day. I never thought my heart could stretch so much and be filled with so much love.

Mother's Day

Jaden got her first bath this week and she loved it. She's like her mommy and looovvees her baths :)



Week 3:
Okay, this was a tough week also but in a different way. I think Jaden is going through a growth spurt and wants to nurse constantly! She's been very fussy and doesn't like to sleep at night. Benny attended a conference in South Beach at the Ritz Carlton this week. Jaden and I went with him. NOTE: it's probably best not to take a 3 week old to a hotel! She was having some meltdowns and I was so worried that we would disrupt our "neighbors" at the hotel. Nights were good because we co-slept and nursed on demand. But the days were rough...she couldn't be satisfied and was extremely fussy. She didn't nap much either :( We were able to get out of the hotel for about 20 minutes and walked along the boardwalk. It is so beautiful there!

Jaden had a follow up Dr. appt this week and now weighs 8lbs, 4oz. She's growing :)


We are approaching the 4 week mark and have experienced so much. Jaden has had jaundice, clogged tear duct infection, bad case of baby acne, and a yeast infection. I've dealt with meltdowns (Jaden's and mine!!) and may have thrush - gotta love breastfeeding - it's one of the hardest things ever! I've been peed on, pooped on (projectile poop!), she pooped in the bath tub and pooped in the blanket on the way to the bath (and I had just changed her). As crazy as it has been, I'm looking forward to all the firsts we will continue to experience.

Hangin' with Daddy

First Gator blanket :)

I love mommyhood!!!!

Much love,
Christy, Benny and Jaden

Mmmmm...CHOCOLATE!!!

The week before Jaden arrived, I had a great surprise delivered to me. A Hershey tower was sent from Hank, Sarah, Gabi, Kennedy, Piper, and Phoebe. It was just in time as I was craving something sweet! Thanks so much guys...you know what I like!!!

"See ya soon Baby J"

Baby J is here!

Our little bundle of joy has arrived. We welcomed Jaden Addison Jones into the world on April 22 at 10:35pm. She was 7lbs, 6 oz, and 18 inches long. She's a beauty with a head full of hair.
We've been home for just one week so we are trying to get used to our new titles as Mommy and Daddy as well as getting used to our new hours.

I will post some updates with some pictures very soon.

Much Love,
Christy, Benny, and Jaden

The Waiting

Tom Petty said it best when he sang "You take it on faith, you take it to the heart, The waiting is the hardest part"!

We've hit the 40 week mark today and Baby J is not showing any signs that he/she is ready to make an appearance today. But this whole process is about the unknown, being patient, and having faith so who knows what the rest of today holds. We'll just keep waiting until you're ready, Baby J!

39 WEEKS

From Daddy to Mommy

Last week I stopped working so I could take a week off before Baby J's due date. It was a little crazy turning over my work and saying "so long" to everyone for a few months. But mid-week I got a surprise that made my day (and of course, made me cry!!).

Thanks Daddy Jones, I love you!!

Yes, call me a "crunchy mama"

What's a "crunchy mama" you ask?

According to the Urban Dictionary, a crunchy mama is a mother who supports homebirth, breastfeeding, baby wearing, cloth diapering, co-sleeping, gentle discipline, etc. One who questions established medical authority; tends to be vegetarian and/or prepare all-organic foods.

Well, based on that I guess I am a crunchy mama or maybe semi-crunchy fits me better :) I love the thought of everything in that definition and already do some of them and will do others once Baby J arrives.

I like taking a natural approach in most areas of my life and we chose a group of midwives for our prenatal care...they have been wonderful. This past Sunday we chose a doula and are very excited about her and her services. She will provide wonderful support for Benny and I during labor and she'll visit us a couple of weeks after Baby J is here to help with nursing.

I knew from the beginning that I would like to have a doula and after meeting with Eva, Benny knew that this would be a great choice for us also. She'll help us to labor at home as long as possible, be my advocate at the hospital and help us to follow our birth plan, provide emotional and physical support by encouraging me to move as much as possible, massaging my back, hands, and feet, and providing emotional support to Benny and encouraging him to be involved as much as his comfort zone allows.

It's getting closer...18 days until the due date. If heredity plays a role, Baby J may come a few days late and that's okay! Next week is my last week of work and then I'm taking vacation time before the due date. I need a mental break from work and the anticipation of all that's to come. Lunch with the girls and a massage is already in the works for that week!!

Here's a special moment of me teaching my niece
Gabi how to make a heart over her belly.
I can't wait for the special moments I'll have with Baby J!

Dear Baby...

This is a beautiful poem I came across and want to share.


Dear Baby, here beneath my heart,
I thought that you might come today;
The timing seemed just right.

But the stars are out
And the moon is high
And sheepishly I wonder why
I try to arrange the plans
Of God.

For now I know
You will not come
Until the One who holds eternity
Rustles your soft cocoon
And whispers in tones that I will not hear,
“It’s time, precious gift.” “Now it’s time.”

-by Robin Jones Gunn

February/March

Keepin' up with the Joneses through the blog probably hasn't been too hard over the last couple of months, but if you are involved with us day to day...you probably would have a little trouble keeping up!! I hope Baby J is getting used to this fast paced life we live.

Here's what's been going on:

February
21st & 25th: For most of February I was studying for the Wellness Coaching exam. There were 3 parts to it: a written exam of 125 questions, a 30 minute practical exam via phone with an licensed WellCoach, and submission of a practice client's sessions. I'm happy to say that I've received my results and I've passed all 3 parts and am a Certified Wellness Coach.

Studying toward the end of the pregnancy was a little tough. I'm already tired from doing nothing so adding study time and role playing coaching sessions added that much more to my fatigue. But it's over now and time to move on to developing our health/wellness business.

28th: The weekend after I finished the exams I had my first baby shower at my Mom's in Fleming Island. It was AWESOME!!! I was so touched by the people that showed up to celebrate Baby J. I loved that I had people from so many areas of my life there...what a blessing!

Cookies that Aunt Jennifer in VA made and sent to FL

That same weekend we had Benny's brother Kevin, his wife Eddia, and their son Elijah stay with us. It was so much fun seeing how big our nephew Elijah has gotten and how much energy he has :) What a cutie!!


March
6th: Attended my cousin Lieren's wedding in Amelia Island. It was beautiful and we had a great time seeing family and friends that we don't see often.

I got in a little dancing with Baby J. It was so much fun!!

7th & 8th: Mom and I came back to Palm Coast and worked on the nursery. She had someone paint the room while we opened up everything received at the shower. We washed baby clothes, the bedding, and baby blankets. Mom put together the swing, bouncy seat, bassinet, hung shelves, curtains, ironed the bedding, etc...you name it and she did it!!! I think we went to bed at 2:00 am Sunday morning and got up to do more. It was finished when she left at 4:00 pm on Sunday. It was a lot of work, but so worth it. I love it...it's the most peaceful room in our house :)



13th: I had a wonderful shower at work. It was great celebrating with all the people I see each day. We received so many wonderful gifts and I'm still working on putting them away! I did try to relax a little that weekend, but I can't sit still for too long - I wound up doing a lot of cleaning.

20th-22nd: Benny was off work on Friday so I took the day off and we went to Gainesville to have a "babymoon". We stayed at The Laurel Oak Inn - it was a lovely Bed & Breakfast. We stayed in the Lavender room. I really wanted this room because of it's bathtub - a two seater with 70 jets! I love taking baths so this was heaven :) I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of the tub! Monta and Peggy, the inn keepers, were a super nice couple that made sure we were taken care of. Breakfast was delicious...fresh fruit, a yummy pastry, egg florentine over an English muffin with peppered bacon...YUM!


After checkout we had lunch with Hank, Sarah, Piper, and Phoebe at BJ's. Then we went back to the Inn to do a maternity photo shoot. We took pics at the Inn, the Thomas Center, the Swamp (Gator football field), inside the college that Benny and I both attended, and then Lake Alice. The weather could not have been better. It was so much fun and I can't wait to see the pics!

We stayed at Mom's Saturday night and got to visit with her, Rob, and Gabi. And that leads us to this moment. We are tired, tired, tired and are relaxing this evening.

Gabi looking so beautiful after Grandma did her makeup :)

Feb/Mar: We've been taking the Prepared Childbirth Class and are 1/2 way finished with it. Only 3 more classes to go and only 4 more weeks until our due date. I guess we cut that a little close! I'm 36 weeks tomorrow and start my weekly OB checks. I'm planning on packing the hospital bag this week since we have no idea when Baby J will decide to make his/her entrance into this world.

I'm so thankful for great family, friends, a healthy pregnancy, and a loving husband who has learned to deal with my crazy pregnancy emotions. It's a great life!!

Lots of Love,
Christy, Benny, & Baby J