Random Joey Update

At 8.5 months, Joey weighs 18.6 pounds.  He's taking about 4 bottles a day (8 ounces a piece), and eating Level 2 foods and "puffs."  He has his two bottom teeth, wears size 3 diapers and 9 month clothes.

Joey is currently on an antibiotic for a left ear infection.  This is his second diagnosed ear infection, but the only way we've known about them is by his goopy eyes; he hasn't seemed to be in any discomfort from the infections. 

He usually goes to bed around 7pm, and can generally sleep through the night.  He usually gets up around 4 or 5am for a bottle and goes right back to sleep - sometimes he doesn't even need that bottle.

He loves toys that make noise, he chews on anything he can get his hands/teeth on, and he loves bathtime.  He sits in the bathtub unassisted, no more baby tub for him!  He is walking, assisted, and can stand for a split second on his own.  He babbles quite a bit, and "dada" is part of his vocabulary, but I don't think he associates it with anyone just yet.  When I try to get him to say "mama," he just laughs.

This is a random update, but I just wanted to capture some of Joey's milestones for my memories later

Joey's Milestones

"Joey Pierce," as Melanie calls him, is growing up SO fast.  He can use his "walker" to cruise the first floor of our house.  He has his two bottom teeth, can sit in the "real" bathtub by himself, is eating 2-3 times a day (Level 2 foods), while still eating his bottle - 8 ounces about 3.5 times a day. He also got introduced to "puffs" lately - some he eats, some he gums and spits back out.  While at home, he takes a full 8-ounce bottle each time he goes down for his (twice a day) superlong nap, and for bedtime, around 7 or 7:30pm.  He has been getting up around 4am or 5am for a bottle and then sleeping until it's time to go to daycare....but now that he's eating more baby food, he's sleeping longer, and has slept through the night all weekend.  This (sleep) is a work in progress.....I only hope this kid continues being as happy as he has been the last eight months!!!

7 Months Old!

Over the 11/20/10 weekend, Joseph Pierce started pulling to standing.  He can sometimes move his little feet a slight bit, and has very good balance.  He can get EVERYwhere he needs to by "army-crawling" - but he can find his knees, and rock.... and just over Thanksgiving, he made a couple of movements on his knees.  Also, at Rick & Sandy's for Thanksgiving, he climbed two stairs!! 

Joey continues to be a happy,laid-back baby as long as his belly is full and he's well-rested.  If he's fussing, you can guarantee that one of the two previously-mentioned things is off.  He is getting up every day at 4am for a bottle, but then he goes right back down.  He is still averaging nearly 30 ounces of formula a day, and is not a big fan of his "baby food," but we keep trying.  He's wearing size three diapers, size 6-9 month clothes, and is sitting up in his baby bathtub now.

I can hardly believe it's been seven months since he entered our lives.  While everyone says his happy nature is because he's a boy, I'm still sticking with the story that it's because he's the second-born.  What a peanut.

Don't forget me!

Mr. Joe has made leaps and bounds lately. 

While he seems to be once again getting up each night for a bottle, he is now pulling up on his knees, and also getting pretty darn close to sitting up on his own (can sit up from his mild boppy prop).  He is also finding his knees more and more often when he's "scooting" around - leading me to believe he'll be crawling on them soon.

He is, just this weekend, moving from his multi-cat-naps each day toward two long naps.  One time I went to get him up from his nap this weekend, he was sitting up, leg through the crib slat, just waiting.....

Aunt Cory felt his teeth coming in this weekend!  That explains the fussiness and drooling.  He has also been a star at dirty diapers - most recently spraying Mommy's pants and the carpet.  Fun times.

His cough persists, so hopefully a round of antibiotics can clear this up once and for all!

Perfect Fall Weekend!

We spent all weekend outdoors...playing in the yard, going to the Zoo (Saturday), going to the Pumpkin Patch (Sunday), going to the park, watching Grace's family carve a pumpkin, and generally enjoying a perfect fall weekend.  We have been working on learning the letter P this weekend - pancakes, pumpkins, park, Paula, Poppy/Pawpaw, pictures, popcorn (a main staple this weekend), playing....P is a fun fall word! 

The BIG news of the weekend is that Joey is CRAWLING!! He hasn't found his knees quite yet, but he is inching along very well!! Between his rolling, pivoting, and army-crawling, nothing is off-limits! He loves to put anything in his mouth, so Melanie has been tasked with not dropping ANY food in the house. This picture depicts the scene of....I left the room with Joey ensconsed in the blue pillow shown in the lower right corner. This is where I found him. One minor example of how this kid is moving...since he is the second child, we'll just see if any of this gets on video :) 

Joey did such a great job in the nursery at church this morning that two people gave me their phone numbers and offered to babysit. They haven't met the other half of that offer :)

 
The zoo was fun, especially since we haven't been in a while.  Melanie was so excited for the dolphin show that she wore her dolphin shirt; but then we had to leave the show early since she was so uninterested.  Some days the show is great, some days not so much.  Even for adults.  We rode the train, the carousel, saw all Melanie's favorite animals, checked out all the Halloween decorations, and played on the playground.  When Paula asked what Mel did at the zoo, she said "ate a turkey sandwich and apple slices."  Joe was a bit bitter that he had just learned to move, and then we packed him up in his carseat all day. 

On the "hay ride" (sans hay) at the pumpkin patch, I looked down and caught Mel and Joe holding hands - Mel was on Jeff's lap and Joey was on mine.  I also caught her licking his head today (and licking Jeff's headlight), but who's counting?  We got to the pumpkin patch, all ready to have Joey strapped to me, and realized "mother of the year" forgot to bring a hat or any shade for the baby.  So we improvised with something Mel got at last week's pumpkin patch/safety session at Clarian North!

As for Melanie, her sleeping is getting better (knock on wood).  The last two nights, not only did she sleep through the night, but she didn't even cry when we left her room.  Big progress; let's hope it continues!  Saturday she was up at 6am, but Sunday she slept until 8am!

We still don't know what these two Worzala kiddos will be for Halloween - Melanie is supposed to be choosing for both of them, and it changes every day.  Today she said she's just going to wear her pumpkin shirt. 

Melanie is getting into what everyone's NAMES are.  She's learned that Mommy & Daddy's names are Angie & Jeff - and wants to know our full names - and makes me recite Julie, Matt, Gigi, Grandma, Pawpaw, Poppy, Matt, Randy, Cory, .... you get the picture - everyone's FULL names - first, middle, last.  She has now mastered saying "Worzala" but if she's not up to it she'll say "ala."