Bronchiolitis

So the plan was to post lots of pictures of Jude enjoying his Christmas gifts, but no such luck. The USB for the printer and the one for the camera are MIA in the boxes in our new apartment, so I can't upload anything. Jon and I have searched, but were interrupted in the unpacking process when Jude came down with bronchiolitis, a nasty virus that has really made Jude feel terrible. He is congested and his breathing sounds like a rusty cotton gin. He went to the doctor last Friday for diagnoses, and the virus peaked on Sunday night when he started crying and panicking. We couldn't get him calmed down and he was the color of a tomato, so we started heading toward the closest ER about 5 minutes away. He was snotting and snorting and gasping. We were scared. Luckily, the car ride was exactly what he needed because the cool night air and vibrations calmed him down on the way. By the time we made it to the door, he was breathing better and was back to his pale self.

Since then, Jude has steadily, yet slowly improved. He was very tired yesterday and didn't eat well, but he was looking better. Today, he is eating better, drank some apple juice, and is playing well. We've tried to continue his new solid foods through the illness, but he has so much congestion that he gets strangled too easily. He is also unable to stay asleep while napping and naps in my arms during the day. Every time I try to lay him down he has a coughing fit. At night, he sleeps for 3-4 hours at a time. He had been sleeping about 9p-6a, so this every few hours thing is hard when he won't nap on his own during the day. Mom needs a nap! The unpacking and such is on slow mo until Jude is feeling better.

Jude's sickness has not slowed his playtime down much, as he is scooting and rolling all over the living room. Most of the time he is trying to get to the dogs' water bowl or to play with the tags on their harnesses. This baby is mobile and on a mission!

Moving

Phase I of the move is complete thanks to C & A and good weather. Jude is asleep, the dogs are asleep, Jon is at work, and I am about to make cookies in the new oven. The view from our apartment is nice, and I think we're going to like living in Raleigh. Jon took me out to dinner last night for my birthday, and really pulled one over on me. I told him I wanted to be surprised, and it didn't matter to me where we went to eat. We started the evening window shopping at Triangle Town Center at my suggestion. We then went out to the car to go to our next destination, my surprise dinner. Jon told me it wasn't too far from where we were. We pulled out of our parking space, drove about 15 feet and pulled into another space! We were going to eat at Twisted Fork, and he totally faked me out. Dinner was great. We started things off with the crab dip and yogurt crackers, which was rich and delicious. I had the filet mignon, and Jon enjoyed the buffalo chicken sandwich. We split a butterscotch blondie for dessert that was served with coffee ice cream and caramel. Yum!

Jude's First Thanksgiving

Jude had his first cereal today, which he seemed to enjoy. He also Skyped with Gran Jan and Grandpa, and he took a nap. It was an overall successful day!

Changes

Jude is now four months old and doing great. He is rolling around everywhere, and loves to smile and laugh. He likes for us to hold him up while he steps with his legs, and he will begin eating cereal before we know it.

We wanted to let everyone know that Jon was recently hired on as the evaluator for the magnet school assistance program grant for Wake County School System, and we will be moving to Raleigh, NC in December. Jon will continue working on his Ph.D. at UNC-G, and I am going to stay home with Jude. I am applying to a Master’s program in Library Science at UNC-Chapel Hill and plan on starting that in the fall of ‘09.

Our current challenge is getting our house packed and ready to sell, and, of course, selling it! (3BR, 2BA!) We are going to miss Winston-Salem and all of the friends we have made here. However, we are so excited to be near Chris and Ashley and start this new adventure!

yyxc vvvvvv n

Jude typed the heading of this post. He is very talented. Above is how he spent the morning. We had a two hour delay because of "snow."

Jude!

Jude got a Bumbo!

Huzzah!

Holy cow!

Jude rolled over! Back to front! Woo Hoo!

Grandma's G and Greyhounds Part III

The semi-annual greyhound gathering in Oak Ridge is a staple gig for Grandma's Genius. This year's event was special, as it marked Jude's very first Grandma's Genius show. It was also the first time Jude had touched grass. He was amazed...

Pappy carves a pumpkin

My dad was in town this week and carved Jude his first Halloween pumpkin--a pirate!