Bow Head - Bow Monster!

It has been quite the battle but I have finally WON... and now I fear I've created a monster. That's right! My daughter is now a Bow Head!! She can't get enough of her bows. In fact, it is normally the first thing she says when she wakes up and its the last thing she says before she goes to bed. And she says it perfectly and normally in multiples. It's not just "bow" but it's "bow, bow". We have now learned to spell it out if we want to mention it because just hearing the word "bow" will send Jorja into frenzy. She'll touch her head and immediately try to find the bow - she'll take it out - look at it - hand it to you - take it back - look at it - hand it back to you and this time make you put it in your hair - then demand you give it back to her - look at it - then demand you put it back in her hair all the while repeating over and over "bow, bow" and then the process starts all over. For so long it was all I could do to get her to keep her bow on her head now she won't go anywhere without a bow. I love it. I've even had to make sure I have bows that match her pjs simply because as soon as she wakes up in the morning she demands a bow and well, let's be honest, I'm not going to put a non-matching bow in her hair! What if I have to take pictures (like the one above)?? :) At any rate, here are a few fun pics of Jorja in her bow(s). We had an Olympic watching party with some friends so I wanted to make sure she was patriotic and well, she kept asking for bows so bows is what I gave her! :) (and no, I didn't actually leave her like this all night... just long enough to get some fun pics).

GO U-S-A!!!

This is actually Jorja "talking on the phone" - you can't see the play phone she has in her hand but it's there... I think she's telling someone how much she loves her bows.

Just a fun random play time with two bows in her hair

Two bows and Mommy's sunglasses - what a fashionista!

Pump it up!

This week Jorja and I went to another play date with our Mommy & Me group. We had SUCH a great time. I almost didn't go because... well... because I'm somewhat of a schedule Nazi when it comes to Jorja's nap times and this play date was going to start right in the middle of her morning nap time. BUT, I really wanted to go to this particular play date so I readjusted her schedule for the day and we went and had a great time. It was at a place called Pump It Up, Jr. The whole place is full of "bounce houses" and slides especially for kids Jorja's age and size. It was great! And, our Mommy & Me group reserved a room so it wasn't crowded at all which was so nice. They had a giant slide that Jorja really seemed to enjoy going down with me - we went several times. She was a little timid in other parts of the play area so as long as I was near by she was good to go! They had a mini-slide in one of the play areas that Jorja went down by herself. She was scared at first but then after doing it a few times was all laughs as she went down. SO FUN! After playing in the bounce houses we all headed over to eat lunch. The experience wasn't near as bad as I thought it might be with 20 people and half of them being babies. :) It was pretty amazing how well behaved all the kids really were. I also met one gal and her son (who is only 9 days younger than Jorja) and we all really hit it off. Jorja and Cole seemed to really enjoy playing with each other - and imitating each other's noises... actually come to think of it, it was more Jorja imitating him - she was quite the follower at this play date I think we're gonna have to start working on her leadership skills. :) And Katie and I got along really well. In fact, I think we are gonna try and start hanging out even outside the scheduled Mommy & Me times which would be so fun! AND she is the one who helped me make my blog so incredibly CUTE!!! Unfortunately, I didn't get any pics of Jorja and Cole playing... next time I will so you guys can see how cute they are together! :) Anyway, it was such a fun play date and I'm really starting to get excited about meeting more moms and Jorja making friends!

Mom & Jorja having fun on the slide

I think Jorja was really starting to enjoy herself

or maybe not...

nope, she really did have a great time - as long as I didn't go too far out of sight :)

Mom & Jorja laughing and resting together. WHAT A FUN DAY!

My Happy, Hungry & Healthy girl is BACK!!

Thank you to everyone who prayed for Jorja, called or emailed to check in and sent encouragement while she was sick. You guys are the best friends and family anyone could ask for! Jorja is doing MUCH, MUCH better. In fact, you would never know a week ago she was so sick. She is almost done with antibiotics and her knot is almost completely gone. Praise Jesus! She is back to her happy, hungry, healthy self and I love it!! Here are a few random pics from the week. Enjoy!

eating very messy ravioli.

Playing with the fireman's hat from Firehouse Subs. She LOVES that hat. We had it about an hour and it was already starting to break. Guess we'll have to go back and get a few more! :)

This week I've been going through Jorja's closet and drawers and packing up all her baby clothes (sniff, sniff) and I found her Fall Festival Outfit - THE CHICKEN!! I couldn't resist trying it on one last time before putting it away in storage. She is still pretty stinkin adorable - even though it was WAY too small. Hilarious!!

Her pain is my pain and some days being a mom is more than I can handle...

We've definitely had a very rough few days at the Jones household. On Saturday Jorja woke up with a bit of a fever (101.6) and while Shane and I were taken back by it we didn't think too much about it because the Dr. told us this might be the side effect of her immunizations from a week ago. However, when we went to change her diaper we noticed a really bright red knot on the inside of her leg. And it was apparently extremely painful for Jorja - we could barely change her diaper without her screaming and it seemed painful for her to walk or crawl. Because we weren't sure if the two were related we just went on about our day as normal but knew Jorja wasn't her normal self. When she woke up from her nap that afternoon her temperature had risen to over 104. At that point we decided to call the on-call pediatrician. After speaking with them we decided to take her to the after hours pediatrician. The Dr. looked at the knot on her leg - which they called an "abscess" - and said she wanted to get the pus out but thought the opening was too sealed up at the time. (is this too much for those of you with a weak stomach??) She gave us some antibiotics and said her fever should go down and that the "abscess" should get a head on it and when it does we should take her to our normal pediatrician so they could get a sample of it and test it... and hopefully drain out the pus to give Jorja some relief. (again, too much info?) Well, the "abscess" didn't get better, in fact, we just kept seeing blood in her diaper every time we changed her and her fever wasn't going down. It was still in the 103/104 range. When I woke her Monday morning she had a fever of almost 105 and I freaked!! So, I took her to the Dr. as soon as they could get me in and they decided they needed to drain the "abscess". I had no idea what awaited me next - AHH! They then proceeded to come in and CUT HER OPEN WITH A SCALPEL to try and drain it - with VERY little numbing, I might add. I can honestly say I have NEVER heard Jorja scream like that, nor do I want to hear it again. It was all I could do to not BAWL in the room with her. (I did as soon as they left though). When they couldn't get it to drain they said it was too deep and I would have to take her to the ER to have them SEDATE her while they cut this thing out of her leg. AHHH!! Just what every mom wants to hear! We prayed over her, I called my parents and talked to my mom and she prayed for her. We absolutely didn't want them to cut her open and sedate her! And luckily, they didn't!! They decided to do an ultrasound of it first to make sure it needed to be drained or to see if they could figure out exactly what it was and I guess the results of that showed they can't drain it or cut anything out at this time. I still am not 100% sure what it is or what is going on or why they did nothing for her but put her through excruciating pain but... I'm just glad they didn't have to put her under and cut her open! Praise Jesus for that!! So, she still has that knot there but they are hoping antibiotics will kill it. They finally "diagnosed" her with Cellulitis - which is just a fancy way of saying she got a cut or bite that got infected. She is still pretty bruised up from all the cutting and poking they did but she's broken her fever and seems to be back to her happy, healthy and hungry self!

Umm... note to self. When Jorja is sick - don't try to take a picture of her! She doesn't like it much! haha - I think it's hilarious. (Also, you can't see it very well but she has her first walking bruise on her cheek from where she fell into Shane's knee - poor kid, can't catch a break).

Pictures like this are a rarity - Jorja only lays like this when she is really tired or really sick... and I would say she was pretty sick.

One Year Check Up and a Big Surprise!!

Sorry I am just now getting all of the One Year pics and information up... there are about 4 blogs down below - enjoy! :)

Jorja had her one year check up on Aug. 1st. She got a great report from the Dr. He gave her an A+ and said she was very healthy. She is "off the charts" for her weight, height and head measurements. I always knew my little girl would be an over achiever! :) She weighed in at a whoppin 26lbs, 6 oz and is 31.3 inches tall. She actually grew 4 inches and gained almost 4 lbs since her 9mo check up. WHOA! The Dr. said if she keeps this up she'll be bigger and taller than me and Shane combined! ha! She did get 3 shots but handled them very well. I am so thankful to God everyday for making my sweet girl so healthy! What a blessing.

When we got home that day I guess something just sparked in Jorja. I guess she realized after her check up she was a big girl and could start doing big girl things. So that day she up and decided she was going to walk! That's right - my little baby is now WALKING. My goal was to have her walking by the time her birthday party rolled around - she, of course, decided she would wait almost exactly a week just to show me she can do things her own way on her own time. Oh well - it's been so fun to watch her learn that I don't really care when she did it. It is awesome. She does it more and more each day as she begins building up her confidence. It won't be much longer before she decides walking will be her mode of transportation over crawling. Oh my! Someone remind me again why I was in such a hurry for this to happen? :) Oh, well - maybe chasing her around will help me lose those last few baby pounds! ha!

There is a video of her walking at the bottom of the blog and here are some pics from her Dr. visit.

Jorja needed a little snack before she got her shots - he we are posing with the cheerios!

Sweet girl playing on the table/bed looking at the painting on the wall

Jorja reading up on what vaccines she was going to get that day!

me & my sweet ONE YEAR OLD!

Jorja Mae turns ONE!!!

I can hardly believe how fast this year has gone by. I think this could have been one of the fastest years of my life and yet I was so hoping this would be the slowest year so I could savor every moment and relish every minute with my sweet girl. Her 1st birthday was so much fun. I wanted to start a tradition that would be special between just the two of us and had a hard time trying to figure out what that would be exactly. The night before her Big Day I was laying in bed still trying to put my finger on what tradition I could start when it hit me! Breakfast! I decided every year on Jorja's birthday, I would wake her up and just the two of us would go and have a special birthday breakfast! So, I woke Jorja up around 8:00a, changed her into her new "Little Miss Birthday" shirt and we headed to Le Peep for Funny Face Pancakes! I brought her "1" candle and some matches and put the candle in the pancakes and I sang to her very quietly (luckily it wasn't very busy or I might have cleared out the place) :) Jorja seemed to enjoy the pancakes okay - she enjoyed the parts without the whip cream the best - go figure! We came home and played for a bit and then Jorja took a long nap! Then we met Gigi (my mom) for lunch at Celebrity Cafe! It was such a fun treat to see Gigi. She brought presents and bought Jorja a bday cookie. It was so much fun! That night when Daddy came home we decided to take Jorja to her favorite place for dinner - or is it our favorite place?? Anyway, we took her to Chick-fil-A! Jorja can eat a full 4 piece kids meal there so we figure she enjoys it enough to make it part of her birthday celebration! Shane made her vanilla cupcakes with strawberry icing for dessert and we brought one along for her to enjoy while at the restaurant. She wasn't too sure about it at first but I think she warmed up to it eventually. I just think the icing really throws her off because she doesn't like her hands to get too dirty... she's a little princess! :) After dinner we took her home for a fun soak in the tub and off to bed! I had a blast on her 1st birthday, and let's be honest - isn't that what really matters since I'm the one who will remember it? :)

Our last and final birthday month picture!

Funny Face Pancakes!!

Me & Jorja with full bellies leaving Le Peep - I think this is going to be a fun tradition!

Jorja excited about her gifts at lunch

Gigi, Jorja & Me

Best pic I could get of Jorja with her cupcake

Diving in to the cupcake - YUMMY!

Self-portrait of the fam

Daddy & Jorja outside Chick-fil-A

Fun in the Tub!

The Birthday Bash!

Jorja's Birthday Party took place at the McKinney Stonebridge Beach Club on Saturday, July 26th. It was about 104 degrees outside that day but luckily the swimming pool was close and cool! :) We had about 50 of some of our closest friends and family at the party and feel SO blessed by everyone that was there! I tend to have big expectations for many things in my life and was a little worried at first that the party wouldn't meet my expectations but, I think it met and exceeded them. It was wonderful! We grilled hotdogs, went swimming, had lots of cake and good conversations and opened a ton of gifts (which I still have not found a place for in my home, my goodness our house is turning into one big play room) :) All in all it was a great way to celebrate my sweet Jorja Mae turning 1. Here's a few highlights:

The Proud Parents of a One Year Old!

Birthday Princess

Jorja's Smash Cake - it was banana flavored because we were afraid she wouldn't eat it and since we know she LOVES bananas we thought it might get her to dive in...

While we sing "Happy Birthday" Jorja eyes the cake - or maybe the flame on the candle (which, by the way, she tried to put out with her fingers instead of blowing it out...yikes!)

So maybe the banana flavor didn't make a difference...

Nope, it did! She LOVES it. In fact, she ate almost the entire thing. Seriously!

Sweet Princess doing her "wave" while munching on her cake! :)

She had cake EVERYWHERE!

This picture was taken after we had eaten cake and opened presents and this is Jorja saying "Thank You" to everyone! So cute!

I just love that "little" belly! :) Here is Jorja in her new wagon that she absolutely LOVES! She's played in it everyday since she got it.

I love you, sweet Jorja Mae!

Well, I feel in honor of Jorja's first birthday I should recap some of my most favorite things about my little girl and our first year together. I've been trying to figure out how many things I should recap because there are just so many - I could do 365 for every day we've been together or I could do 7,232,007 since that is her birth date - but I figure that might be a little overboard. :) At any rate, you can feel free to read or skip this particular entry as it is mainly something special for Jorja from me as a way to capture all my thoughts and feelings for her on "paper". Plus, I'm sure no matter how many or few things I try to come up with, it will be lengthy! :)

Me & Jorja the day she was born and on her 1st birthday!

Jorja Mae, my sweet baby girl - you have made my life better and brighter and shown me things about myself that I never knew existed. The love I have for you is one I have never known before and one that will never compare to another. I now have a small glimpse of how God loves us and how He must feel about us as his children. Truly Amazing! You are such a blessing from God and I can't imagine my life without you in it. I pray I will be a great mentor, teacher, confidant, friend and mom to you all the days of your life.

Here are just a FEW of the things I love about you - my sugar bear, my princess, my sweet pea, my silly girl, my little munchkin, my baby girl, my love, my Jorja Mae:

1. Your Laugh - it has evolved throughout the year which means you actually have about 5 different laughs depending on what is going on and what you think is funny. Your laugh can bring a smile to my face on the worst of days. It is my favorite sound!
2. How You Cuddle - I love when you are so sleepy you can't help but rest your head on my shoulder. Recently you just started wanting a "lovey" when you go to sleep and I love when I put your lovey on my shoulder how you immediately stick your thumb in your mouth and with your other fingers grab onto the lovey and rest your head. I could cuddle with you all day!
   
3. Your Wet Slobbery Kisses - you are very stingy with your kisses but when you do decide to give them you go all out! They are wide open mouth kisses with lots of licking and slobber. They are wet but so wonderful. I often find myself trying to figure out what makes you want to give them so I can get them all the time.
   
4. Your Love for Food - It brings me such joy to know that you love food as much as your Dad and I do. There are very few things I've put in front of you that you won't eat and it makes meal time so enjoyable for me and for you! I love how you open your mouth big and wide as soon as you see the spoon coming. There is no need to play silly games like "airplane" with you - you are ready, willing and able to eat it all! I love watching you experience a new food for the first time. I love watching you when you really like something. You get all excited and smile real big, wave your arms in the air and then you say "mmmm". Now that you are starting to eat "table foods" I think it is so cute how you always want to copy me and eat what I'm eating and you get so frustrated when I don't let you pick it up and put it in your mouth on your own. Mealtime with you is always an experience and tends to be some of my favorite times of the day.
   
5. All Your "Firsts" - I absolutely LOVE that I have had the blessing to be there for all of your "firsts". I was there the first time you smiled, the first time you laughed, the first time you rolled over, your first tooth (which definitely wasn't the funnest of your firsts), the first time you woke up in your bed on your belly, your first word (which was "Dada" but I'll get over it), the first time you sat up on your own, the first time you pulled yourself up, the first time you started to use and understand sign language, the first time you had solid foods, the first time you drank from a sippy cup on your own, the first time you drank through a straw, the first time you picked up food and fed yourself, and now your first STEPS! Being home with you was the best decision I've ever made. I can't imagine missing out on any one of those firsts and I don't want to miss out on any of the firsts that are still to come.
   
6. Our Nursing Bond - I have cried many days and nights over the fact that this time has come to an end for you and I. You weren't even an hour old the first time I nursed you and you allowed me to nurse you for at least a week after you turned one. You and I had an instant connection and we just fit together perfectly. You did everything right from the very beginning which made it so much easier on me. I can't tell you how much this time I had with you meant to me. I know you will never remember it but I always will. I was able to hold you closer than anyone else ever could. I was able to experience a bond with you that only you and I have. I loved how you would cling so tightly to me as if you knew I was your only source of life and nourishment and that I would always keep you safe and warm. Knowing, that for the first 6 months of your life at least, I was all that was keeping you alive was such a huge responsibility and yet one I accepted with great joy and delight! I will forever and always cherish the (roughly) 1,865 times I was able to nurse you to become the healthy, happy "little" girl you are now!
7. Your Facial Expressions and Personality - I think I love this so much because not only does it keep me laughing and entertained all day but it is the one area of your life where I really see some similarity between you and I. You look just like your daddy and often times I have a hard time seeing myself in you... until those facial expressions come out or until your bubbly and happy personality comes out and then I realize there IS a little bit of me in you and I LOVE it! You are always so sweet to smile and wave at people as they talk to you, you laugh all the time, you love hearing yourself talk so much I often hear you doing it when you are alone in your crib waking up or trying to fall asleep, I hardly ever have to wonder what you want or what you are thinking because your facial expression gives it all away - I know when you are frustrated, happy, sad, angry, hurt, sleepy or poopy! And I think it is so wonderful that God gave you the same empathy and sensitivity He gave to me. It will be both a blessing and a curse for you (and others who know you) your whole life. :) You can seriously cry at the drop of a hat if I even look at you the wrong way and you absolutely can't let anyone cry alone in your presence. I love knowing that you and I will share in our love for life and laughter and our love for people and their well-being.
   
8. Your Beauty - you are absolutely beautiful, Jorja Mae. You have the most amazing flawless porcelain skin. Your eyes are captivating and the most beautiful shade of blue. Your naturally highlighted curly cues on top of your head are simply adorable (and something I prayed for when you were in the womb). Your cheeks are so kissable and pinch-able I find my lips attached to them most of the day. Your big ol' belly and rolls on your arms and legs are just the cutest thing ever. I will take a chunky, healthy baby any day of the week. :) You have such a cute little button nose that crinkles when you laugh. And you have these cute dimples that come out when you smile. And don't even get me started on your feet. They are probably my favorite part. They are perfect! I love that when you look at the bottom of your foot your toes look like little peas and your feet are just so chunky and squishy - and they are ticklish so I can always get a giggle out of you by playing with them. You are breathtakingly beautiful and sometimes look like a little porcelain doll. I can only imagine how much your beauty will grow as you get older.
   
9. Your Sweet Voice - you have such a sweet and cute little voice. I absolutely love to hear you say "momma". It always cracks me and your dad up because when you say "momma" you say it loud and with much authority and when you say "dada" you say it so soft and sweet. I'm sure that is no reflection as to how you view the way your dad and I talk! :) One of your favorite things to say is "whoa" and you say it with such conviction and surprise - the ball goes down the slide for the 10th time and you say "whoa" - you fall down and you say "whoa" - you wake up and start talking to yourself and there is almost always going to be a "whoa" in there. I love it! You babble on and on and on all day and I love hearing your sweet voice and trying to figure out what story you are trying to tell me. And you make the most adorable animal noises ever! The Lion is definitely a crowd favorite! :) I'm just longing for the day when you can actually look at me and say in your sweet little voice "momma, I love you" - that will be the greatest day ever.
10. How you Praise the Lord in Everything - I try not to turn the tv on much while you are awake because I don't want you to end up like a couch potato like your dad and me. So often times I will put on Praise & Worship music while we play throughout the day. I began to notice as we would have the music playing in the background that at times a song would catch your attention and you would just start bouncing up and down and would clap and smile. So I took that opportunity to teach you how to "Praise the Lord" and taught you to raise your hands in worship as you listened to the music. Well, now - whenever you hear music of any kind whether its the ABCs or Jesus Loves Me - you bounce up and down, clap your hands and raise your hands in worship. It is priceless. Not to mention that you know as soon as I say "Let's pray" to grab onto my hands and sit still. And as soon as you hear me say "In Jesus Name" you start saying "men" for Amen. Simply awesome! God has big and wonderful plans for you, Jorja Mae. He is going to use you for His Kingdom in ways none of us imagined possible. I can't wait! You have shown me the true meaning of giving praise to the Lord in everything!

Happy First Birthday sweet girl. I love you more than words could ever express and more than my actions will ever show. I can't wait to see what this next year and the years to come will bring about for us.

Love,
Your Momma