Jon!

Happy birthday!
We love you!
Amanda, Jude, Lucy and Clara

First Snow!

Snow Day

It's snowing so much here that Jon got to stay home! They are predicting 1"-3" here, and it is still snowing at 9 a.m. Jude had a great night last night, sleeping from 8 p.m.-6:30a.m. After his morning meal he went right back to bed until 8:15! We'll take Jude out later to experience his first snow, but for now we are all bundled inside watching the inauguration coverage, also a first for Jude. Here are some pics of the snow and Jude's tooth (click to enlarge).

Little Gym Bug

Jude is now a Little Gym "Bug." We took our trial class today at The Little Gym of North Raleigh and enjoyed it very much. We joined a circle of other 4-10 month olds and stretched, sang, and banged sticks together. The class begins with some organized playing and ends with free play on the gym equipment. The most interesting thing about the class is the vast variety of skills. From the just now holding his head up 4-month old to the starting to walk 10-month old. We sat next to a "bug" who is a week older than Jude but who is not yet scooting at all and seldom lays on his belly. And we have our little guy who, dressed in camo today, did the army crawl all over the slick gym mat. They all develop so differently that I feel odd even comparing them. We started looking into these classes before we left Winston so that Jude would have interactions with others kids and get some additional brain stimulation. It's not until Jude starts talking and starts school that we'll know if the two foci on his MRI are of any consequence. The activities in the class are supposed to promote development, and though everything appears "normal," we figure they won't hurt.

Jude had a great time and was all tuckered out, falling asleep on the way home. We begin the spring semester on the 30th.

UPDATE: We have a break through! A tooth has emerged in Jude's bottom gum! His new nickname is Chester Toothsworth.

God rest ye merry, Judeman (IV)

Jude's tour of Kentucky also included a stop in Taylorsville with Nana Lou and G & P. We also made a stop at Becca and John's to visit their new arrival and see all the beautiful home improvements they've made. Jude also had some QT with his friends from NOLA, Chrissy and Carter.

I'm dreaming of a Jude Christmas (III)

Now for Christmas with the Brasfields and the Pulleys. Jude enjoyed his GranJan and Grandpa, rocked out to some live music, and met his cousins.

Jude Christmas II

First we have all the boys, Jude, Jarius, and Jaylin. Then Jay. Next is Uncle Rob, Aunt Gus, and Jarius. Finally a pic with Aunt Kelly.

Christmas with Jude I

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!