Christmas 2008

Jon David's first Christmas was a smashing success! He really enjoyed his new toys, especially the Fisher-Price tower. This toy had been around since I was a kid and we used to call it the "onion ring tower". I only got him a few things because I know his grandparents on both sides have tons of stuff for him. We spent the day in our matching pj's going through all of our gifts. That's right, matching pj's. I got them last year when I was pregnant, dreaming of Jon David's first Christmas. It's so cheesy, but we'll have a good laugh about it when he gets older.

If you don't like sentimental, skip to the end. For all parents who understand, remember your children's first Christmas. The joy you feel is so precious. We took tons of pictures and video and I hope it was enough to hold on to the feeling I had that day. Poor Jon, he found me bawling my eyes out on Christmas Eve. I choked out that I was happy, not sad! We've waited a long time for this, and I was overcome with emotion. This Christmas was the beginning of new traditions for our little family!

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday and we wish everyone a healthy and prosperous new year!

We have snow!

It's a Christmas miracle, it snowed in Houston! Of course, none of it stuck, but it really came down for a while. I had to wake Jon David up from his nap so he could experience the snow. We took a few pictures and I don't think he was impressed. He was wondering why we were so excited.
Jon David has been eating cereal and yams, so we decided that peas would be next. The picture says it all. I've been making all of his food at home with my new Babycook from Williams-Sonoma. It's the greatest and I am glad I can feed him organic foods.
My bubba, Jon David, is 6 months today. He celebrated by saying his first word... Mama! All day, if I left his side, he said, "MAMA, MAAAAMA!!!" I thank God everyday for my sweet little angel. Now I just have to teach him to yell, "Daddy"!

Thanksgiving

We had Jon David's first Thanksgiving in San Antonio this year. My sister-in-law Evelyn and I did our first turkey and thank God, it turned out great. The family has officially hired us for the job from now on! We had such a good time hanging out with our family and Jon David couldn't get enough of everyone. He loves all of the attention. It is always interesting to see how he changes when we get home. Every time we have gone to SA, JD comes home with new skills. I think his cousin Ella has a great influence on him! Jon has taught him to "high 5" and when he is in the mood, he will happily raise his hand for one. Also, now he likes to sleep on his stomach with a blanket over his head. He is perfectly comfortable and sleeps well. I, on the other hand, cannot say the same. Even with the video monitor, I still go in and check on him many, many times through the night. My friends with 2+ kids assure me someday I will sleep again. I doubt it!


We have so much to be thankful for this year and we are looking forward to Jon David's first Christmas! He already loves Santa and Christmas carols. I leave his radio on the holiday station and he thinks my singing is great! (ok, maybe not great, but certainly amusing)

First Food!!!

Jon David has moved up from just breast milk to adding in rice cereal three times a day! He likes it and was obviously ready for it. He grabbed the spoon and put it in his mouth. I held back tears as Jon and I fed him his first food. I am so proud of my little man! After Thanksgiving, the adventure is on! I plan to make all of his food at home. With our history of food allergies (milk and wheat) I have to be careful about how Jon David eats. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

5 months

My big boy! He has been ah-gooing and laughing at me all week. I'm so glad no one else is here to see the crazy things I'll do for a laugh. He loves to roll from his belly to his back and wait for my praise! He has also started to roll from his back to his belly on his left side. We were at his Godparent's house when he did it the first time. Greg and Kirsten were pretty excited to be there for that moment! JD and I have been stuck in the house for the last two days because of the rain. We've been staying busy playing Wii Fit. Everyone needs to have this game! It's so fun and Jon David loves when we do the aerobics! He laughs at me until all of the movement puts him to sleep. Our dog Shelby hates it and runs around us barking until we stop. Our Wii is new and we are soooo addicted!!! Our next purchase is a jogging stroller. We want to enjoy the weather before it gets too cold. Happy November everyone!

Halloween!!!

Our Halloween was pretty quiet with less "trick or treaters" than I thought. My parents were here and we took turns answering the door holding the "football". We got some really funny pictures and Jon David's custom costume (made by my mother) was a big hit among the neighbors! Of course, he didn't understand all of the fuss, but he did enjoy all of the attention. After everyone left and it was back to just JD and mommy, he cried everytime I put him down. It is official, at 5 months, Jon David CAN be spoiled!!!

Pumpkin Patch

I was so excited to take Jon David to the pumpkin patch for pictures! He is usually happy and I thought we'd get some great pics. Turns out, we did get some memorable moments, they just were not what we were expecting! Check out the eyebrow in the family photo, it's Jon's face!!! I've seen him do it many times, I never thought I'd get it on camera. As if he didn't already look soooo much like his daddy...

This one's for Jon!

This post is for my husband who keeps bugging me about adding this funny picture. I have to admit, it's my screen saver and it cracks me up every time I see it. I wonder where he gets his personality from...?

Getting bigger by the day!

Jon David just got his 4 month shots and now weighs 15 1/2 lbs and is 25 inches long! We went to San Antonio for our Godson's baptism and to visit family. He had a great time with his cousin Ella, who is two months older. We had fun, but JD is now off his sleep schedule. It doesn't seem to bother him, but it sure cuts into my free time (and sleep). Bedtime at 10pm? Agh... He is sleeping less during the day, and better at night. I have confidence that bedtime will be back to 8:30 soon!

Bleeding Orange...

Ok, here is Jon, Jon David and Shelby in their TRUE colors! We are looking foward to the UT vs OU game this weekend. My parents and Jon have a bet where the loser must wear the other's colors and pay for dinner at Morton's when they come down in November. The way I see it, we are all winners if we are eating at Morton's! Yummy!!!

4 Months

Jon David just keeps getting bigger and louder! He is sleeping better and so are we. One of his favorite activities is laughing at me singing children's songs or whatever comes to mind (including commercials!) The more animated I am, the better. Even though he is still very young, we are starting sign language. We do the sign for "more" and "milk". It's too early for him to sign, but he pays close attention to my hands, so I thought I should start. I am so lucky to be able to stay at home with my bubba and watch him learn and grow!

Jon David is 3 months old

It's amazing how fast he grows! I am so thankful we have lots of pictures of him as a little guy. When we got pregnant, we prepared for all of the crying and diaper changes. Little did we know the happy baby we would get! Jon David rarely cries and smiles all of the time! The sillier we are, the more he likes it. Jon and I have turned into "those" parents. Yep, the ones that will do anything for a smile. We are constantly on the move and his capacity for new adventures is endless!!!

After the storm

We are back home and so thankful for minimal problems! Our neighborhood suffered power outages, trees down, TONS of debris and other minor problems. Fortunately, that's it! Neighbors helped neighbors and we got everything cleaned up. Jon flew up to OKC to make the drive back with us. He was greeted by my parents in their OU shirts and JD in a Sooners onesie! We managed to get a picture before Jon took it off! It was a much easier trip home. Jon David and I enjoyed our visit and I know my parents were happy to have us. Well, happy to have Jon David, I'm just there to feed him... We took lots of pictures with his great-grandmother (my Oma) and his great-grandparents on my father's side. I am so thankful that he got to spend time with them!

Hurricane Ike

Please pray for all those in the path of Ike. Jon David and I are in Oklahoma with my parents. Jon is staying at home with Shelby to ride out the storm. I was planning a trip up here anyway, but instead of a nice, one hour flight on Tuesday, Jon David and I spent 9 hours in the car driving up here on Thursday. I'm sure all will be fine and I did have a hurricane kit put together, but you cannot be too cautious with a little one. I did not want to spend 2 days in a closet and who knows how many more without electricity. So here we are, watching and waiting...

Please Help!

This post is for my dear friend Jacque. She is raising money for a great cause. Please click on this link and check out her story. Jon and I support her and consider ourselves so lucky to have her as a friend. She is an accomplished athlete with a HUGE Christian heart. Please donate in any way you can! Thanks! http://www.active.com/donate/ocrf08/jpeppler1022

Baby Feet

Well, we survived Hurricane Gustav. We didn't even get any rain! I don't know how long it will be before we actually get nailed by "the big one". For those of you who watch The Weather Channel, "It Could Happen Tomorrow!" For now, we are thankful for the quiet holiday weekend. Jon David has been "talking" so much lately. He looked at his reflection and said, "Heh!" and then laughed at himself. It was priceless! Everyday it is something new and exciting with him. I just know he will be crawling soon! He "inch worms" all over the blanket. I am amazed at how strong he is. Unless he is tired, we are movin' and-a groovin'. I cannot even imagine actually chasing after him...

Would you just take the picture already?!!!

The looks on these two are priceless! They really are great friends. Shelby loves to lick his ears and toes. He smiles and laughs at her! Any time she goes by, Jon David follows her with his eyes and leans toward her. We wondered how Shelby would take it when we brought him home, but she amazed us all. Not only was she very well behaved, but she was always the first one to run to him when he started crying! She got more protective of everyone in the house, especially Jon David. We love to watch them interact. They may not know all there is to know, but they definitely love each other!

11 weeks

We finally moved Jon David to his own room. He is a VERY noisy sleeper and it was time for him to get used to his crib. Of course, the move coincided with a growth spurt! He was eating every hour and 45 minutes, night and day. I wasn't sure if we'd make it through! My doctor took one look at me and gave me orders to take one night off a week and take an Ambien! I assured her I was fine and we would make it through the growth spurt (ok, maybe I lied...) We did survive and I am happy to report he is sleeping better! Jon David attended his first wine event at Morton's where he made lots of friends. We stocked our locker with some yummy wine and had a great dinner. We had lots of people stop by our table to comment on how cute he is! Ok, ok, I'll quit bragging!!!

10 weeks

Here's my little one at 10 weeks. I can't believe how big he is. He's quite popular! Everywhere we go, people love to see him smile. He does have those huge, blue eyes (thanks to Jon). I know babies eye color can change, but I'm pretty sure the blue is here to stay!

9 weeks and my birthday!

We decided to make a quick weekend trip to San Antonio for my birthday. We have other family members with birthdays near mine so we all celebrated together on a private dinner barge on the Riverwalk. It was great and we learned more about San Antonio's history. If you ever go visit, take the tour! Jon David was wide awake (it was late) and loved all of the lights and sounds. He slept well that night. Now that's the birthday gift I really wanted!

2 months

These pictures crack me up. I can just hear it in my head... "Hey Ladies!" I have so many pics from this time, it's hard to pick the one I like best. I'll just pick two! His personality is so funny and he has become quite the ham for the camera. Jon has started calling me "mom-a-razzi". I guess I deserve that!

6 weeks

After our return from San Antonio, JD seemed to change overnight. He looked so different and really started to notice more around him. He started smiling all of the time and his "voice" got very loud and creative! He is a happy guy and we are so blessed to have such a good boy! I used this picture to make the stamps for his birth announcements. I can't get enough of those smiles!!!

San Antonio Trip

Our first big trip was to San Antonio so our family and friends there could meet Jon David. Jon's parents were so excited for us to come. They wanted to be with us at the birth, but his mother had back surgery the same day he was born. If she could have found a way to travel, they would have. After 3 surgeries, her doctor was pretty strict! We spent lots of time with everyone and it was a great trip. I learned alot those days without Jon there and it made me more confident as a parent! The last time I could survive on 3 hours of sleep I was in college. Ahhhh, to be young again!

One Month

Jon and I were on our own with Jon David. All of our visitors had left and we were excited but nervous. I cried when my mom left, but I knew it was time. It was so intimidating, yet natural for the three of us to fall into a routine. I missed having the chance to nap when I wanted to, as opposed to when he napped. By the time he took his long nap in the afternoon, I was wide awake. We stayed busy because we only had 6 days to get ready for our first trip. We went to San Antonio to see family and friends. While we were there, Jon went to Las Vegas for business. It was the first I was "alone" with JD. We stayed with his brother Chris and his wife Evelyn and their son Joe Anthony. To make our trip more difficult, we took the dog with us too. Shelby is very hyper and only listens to Jon. Joe Anthony was a big help, taking Shelby out to pee and playing with her. She even got to sleep in the bed with him a couple of nights! Let me tell you, the whole experience was trial by fire!

Week 3, Fourth of July

After Uber-Oma left, my dad and brother Nate came to see the baby. Nate only stayed for the weekend, but my dad stayed through 4th of July weekend. We had a BBQ at the house with hamburgers and Jon's famous guacamole. My dad and Jon had fun picking up Jon's new car, they even got free shirts and hats with it. I was too tired to even care, maybe that's why Jon chose this time to buy a car... For those of you who don't know, Jon is a car enthusiast. His passion for cars is usually a sore subject. I don't understand it, but it makes him happy! He could probably say the same for my obsession with purses. They both involve the same question, "Why do you need more than one?". I've received 2 very nice purses since then, so I cannot complain. After the holiday weekend, my dad took my mom home and we were then on our own. Yes, I cried alot!

Week 2, still alive!

So we made it to week 2. Now that his cord stump fell off, it was time for a real bath. He was NOT happy. I am glad to report he likes his bath now, but those first few were bad! Poor baby, look at that face!

The first week

Well, it turns out it's ok I'm doing this late because I don't remember much from that first week home. Between the vicodin and no sleep, well, you parents out there know what I mean. Let me take this opportunity to say a big THANK YOU to my mother who was with Jon and I for a total of 6 weeks. We were so happy she could be here for the birth and even happier she could help after. Jon and I would watch the clock, knowing at 9am, we could sleep because Oma would take over! I still had to get up to feed Jon David, but my naps all day long probably saved our marriage. I always heard that being a parent was the hardest, yet best experience ever. That really didn't mean much until it happened to us. I thank God everyday for our little one (even when I don't sleep!) I am also happy to report that my Oma was able to come visit and hold JD all day long. She is a proud great-grandma!!! We call her "Uber-Oma" because my mom is now Oma! I am pretty sure if I was not breastfeeding, my mom and Oma would have taken the baby home with them...

At the hospital

After Jon David was born, and I got to sleep for 5 hours, they moved us to a bigger room. Our friend George brought us a fantastic dinner (with wine!) to celebrate. Let me tell you, I earned that Morton's steak! Everyone working the floor stopped by to see what smelled so good. Thanks to George for the delivery. All that was missing was his tuxedo...

A thank you to friends...

This blog would not be here without the encouragement of my friends. It is a great idea and I hope to put lots of memories here. To all of my friends and family, may God bless you all!

Jon David is here!

Our son is here! Jonathan David de la Garza Jr. was born June 11th at 11:47 p.m. weighing 8 lbs 12 1/2 oz. What a funny look on his face! He actually said, "UH OH" after delivery. Everyone in the room repeated it before realizing this child's first noise was "uh oh". Oh boy, we are in for it! Welcome to the world Jon David!

Here we go!

Here is the beginning of our adventure! Our fingers were crossed hoping that this day (June 11th) Jon David would finally make his appearance. As you can see by my very swollen body, it was time. I promised myself after all we had been through, I would not be miserable or "down" about my body. My doctor assured me all was fine and that sometimes IVF patients retain more fluid. Well, I didn't expect to be stopped TWICE by strangers asking when I was due and if I was having more than one baby. JD was coming out that day even if I had to throw a fit at the doctor's office. Lucky for all, we were admitted...