A Noa Update

Normally babies don't start crawling until 7-9 months...Noa is 5 months old now, and it seems like he'll start pretty soon.......

Such a great week!

Since becoming a mom, (and with Chad being gone all the time) I dont get out much at all!...I mean, seriously, at all! This last week, I was able to go grocery shopping (yipee), go to the RB on campus, and attend a Stake Relief Society activity. It was soooo nice to be able to go and feel like a part of the world again. Grocery shopping at Walmart is a weekly occurrence but going up on campus and seeing some people that I used to work with and also going to a 3 hour activity and seeing lots of wonderful sisters was really a treat.

Not many of you know but I used to work for BYU's Y-Be-Fit Program as an intern. I loved working there and helping people live a healthier lifestyle. I also was able to perform a lot of fitness/health assessments while I was there - like, the Bod Pod - yes, the amazing little egg-shaped machine that tells you your body fat % and some other info about your body composition. This is before I was pregnant and all, so I was curious about how my body has changed since becoming pregnant and having a baby. I ran into a friend/co-worker at the RB and he generously volunteered his time to do a test for me. And the results were unbelievable!! ...No seriously, I dont want to seem like Im boastful or that I just want to show off BUT I really didnt expect the numbers that it gave me. So my pre-pregnancy weight/body fat%/category were - 113lbs, 21%, Lean (not bad right?). I was seriously expecting my weight to be higher, definitely my fat percentage to be a ton higher but still be in the category of "Lean" (18-22%).......Now for the results (drum roll please!)...... I weighed 109lbs........my fat% was at 16........and I got bumped down to "Ultra Lean"(12-17)......yes, I am super excited but still kinda in shock about it :)

My ward is so wonderful and I love everyone that I've met in the Japanese ward. I also love my stake! The stake activity was soooo much fun! It was set up so that we could each choose 3 separate classes to attend and all have lunch at the end. The 3 classes I chose were Dressing Recipe Class (done by the Japanese Ward), Baby Sign, and Making Headbands with Fabric. LOVED ALL of them! The recipes were great and there were so many of them I cant wait to try making them all. Baby sign language has always interested me and now that Noa is getting to the age where I can start showing him things, I really wanted to learn more about it. In the class the instructor gave us lots of useful tips and resources that we could turn to when I start. Lastly, the headband class...I actually debated whether to go to this one or a furniture refinishing class but definitely glad that I went to this one! This is what I made :
Isn't it adorable?!? it was super easy too! a great thing to make if you have scrap pieces of fabric left from other projects. I am going to make a few different ones that I will post up later.....I think I just found new hobby - headband making! :D

Currently, Im also trying to make a pattern for a baby boy necktie - to be posted soon!

Almost half way there!

One month short of being half a year old!

Happy 5 mo. Birthday, Noa!!

Noa is now a whopping 16 pounds!

5 month-old Noa:

• LOVES to eat おかゆ (soft rice porridge...YUM!)
• has his 2 bottom teeth!
  
• grabs and plays with his feet
• rolls and roLLs and RoLLS!
• can sit and balance on his own (for the most part)
• reaches for things like toys, and opens his mouth when he sees a pacifier or spoon
• can take the pacifier out of his mouth and put it back in by himself
  
• is starting to scooch, not crawling yet...moves around a lot though...
• recognizes faces and voices [sometimes cries when he can't see mommy's face, OR when he sees new faces]
• plays with toys and stuffed animals
• is growing out of his 3-6 mo old clothes....moving on to 6 mo+
  

Our Prayers are with You

Tomorrow (January 20, 2010) is the day of my dad's surgery. After many years (I think 8) of monitoring a heart murmur or leaky valve, he and his doctor came to the conclusion that it is best that they fix the problem now, before its too late. His surgery will be an open heart operation, which scares me to death, but my dad has researched everything about this kind of operation and trusts in his surgeon 100%. He will have a 6 (?) week recovery period after the surgery where he will pretty much be on bed rest...
I really wished I could have been there...it breaks my heart that we are so far away. All we can do is pray and have faith that everything will go well.

I pray for the hands and minds of the doctors, that they will be blessed with quick judgment and the power to make all the right decisions during the operation. I pray for my family to have strength and comfort during this difficult time, and for them to be blessed with faith that everything will be alright. I pray for my dad, that the surgery will go as planned and that he will have a speedy recovery with no complications.

We LOVE you Daddy!
...our prayers are with you...

what happened?!?

When I woke up this morning, this is what I saw...............>

....scratches ALL over his face! ...NO a cat did not attack him, and NO I do not abuse my child!! - I just don't cut his nails as often as I should, apparently....

It's really not as bad as it looks, I promise...he's still as happy as can be! but I have definitely learned my lesson.......from now on, cut his nails 2~3x a week (at least)...

A New Years Discovery

On January 1st 2010, while in Michigan visiting my family, we made a little discovery...Noa is TEETHING! My little brother pointed out a white speck on Noa's lower gums...thinking it was a piece of spit-up or lint, I reach in to get it, and it was actually a tooth! I was so shocked, since Noa is only 4 months (plus a week or so). It was an exciting moment, but also a little frightening for the 8 long breastfeeding months to come... :/


His two wittle teeth are now growing and showing a lot more since New Years day. He has chomped down on me a couple of times but nothing too bad yet...thank goodness...I'm just crossing my fingers that it will stay this way.

It really is the cutest thing when he smiles though :D