Fun times at the pool

A few weeks ago we took Jonathan to the pool for the first time. (Yes, I'm quite slow at getting pictures up on here!) We wondered how he would like it and he did great! I think he was confused most of the time, but he didn't cry or get upset, so that clearly means he loves it! :) He got in a baby pool at my parents' house this past weekend but we haven't been back to the big pool yet, (it's kinda hard to go between naps some days) so we'll see how the second trip goes. Here are some pictures and a video of our first pool experience.

Getting ready to walk to the pool! (Can't you see his excitement?)

He was surprisingly OK with the hat...must be his father's child!

Here's a little video too! (We understand that you have to really love us and our boy to be watching and loving these videos as much as we do! It's not up for the Oscars or anything!)

4 months old and growing

Jonathan is already 4 months old! Time is flying by for us...he's growing and changing so much! This month especially has been neat to watch all the new things he's doing. He's grabbing rattles, blankets and pretty much anything else he can get his hands on and immediately puts them in his mouth. He's "talking" to us, especially when we're reading books (he helps!) or like this past Sunday he wanted to join in the singing in church! It was so sweet to hear his little noises while we sang!
We went for his 4 month check up today and everything was great. He's 15 lbs 5 ozs, and almost 25 inches long. That sounds huge, but he's actually in the 50% percentile of both and is actually slimming up some. Dr. Collins said he was a very symmetrical little boy. That makes me laugh! He told us we could go ahead a start some rice cereal once a day. Not so much for nutritional value, but just to practice eating solid foods. I wish my doctor told me to practice eating! :) We're just so thankful he's such a healthy and happy baby! Here are some recent pictures and a video of him talking a little!

Not quite sure what to do with it...

It was quite a mess this first experience with a spoon!

Parent-Child Dedication

On May 17 we were able to participate in the Parent-Child dedication service at Spring Hill Baptist Church, JP's home church in Mobile. Since the church we are a member of here in New Orleans doesn't have a pastor right now, we decided to do it there. We've known since we found out I was pregnant that a child was a gift from God and only a loan to us for a few years, so it was special for us to be able to participate in this service and symbolize that to the church body. Jonathan did so well in the service and we had a terrific afternoon with his parents, my parents, my grandmother and my aunt. We are so happy and blessed to have so many family members that love us and our son!
Our new adventure has been teaching him to sleep. I know it sounds a little out there, but I read a book called "The Baby Whisperer" and it has worked like a charm. No, it wasn't an overnight fix, but we've been doing it for 2 weeks now and he takes two, 2 hour naps during the day and sleeps most of the night (he usually stirs twice around 4-6 but we just go in and settle him). Compared to the 1 1/2 hour stretches we had before, this is wonderful! He has slept completely through the night once so we know there is hope! People tease me for reading a book for parenting tips, but as my mom says, "you love books, that's who you are" - She's so right!
Anyway, as we've been learning this new sleep method I've had lots of time to shhh and pat his little back. There's not a whole lot to do while shhh-ing and patting, so I've gradually begun to pray more and more during these sometimes stressful and tiring times. I pray for Jonathan and our families, of course, but I also find myself praying for all sorts of stuff (friends traveling, coworkers, and even Jon and Kate's marriage)! :-) These 2 weeks have been hard on all 3 of us, but I thank God for using this time to reteach me about praying continually. I hope that long after Jonathan is sleeping through the night I still have this wonderful, continual dialogue with my Saviour!

My first Mother's Day

This past Sunday we got to celebrate my first Mother's Day and it couldn't have been any more perfect! We had a great time in church watching our new friend, Mitchell Claire Olvey, and her parents do parent-baby dedication. Jonathan did so great and was so quiet except for one super cute baby squeal at a quiet moment! We got looks but they were "oh how cute!" looks and not "why is that baby in here?" looks! :) I'm still not ready to take him to the nursery...I know it will have to happen one day, but he's still good so I don't see the point right now! I love him being with me all the time! After church we went on a picnic to the park with the Olveys. It was such a beautiful day and Jonathan LOVES being outside, and also apparently watching ducks and geese!
All day I couldn't help but think back to Mother's Day last year. We had been trying to get pregnant for a little over a year at that time and I was just super depressed, thinking we would never be blessed with a child. After talking with JP and a sweet friend of mine who had been through the same difficult situation, I decided I wouldn't even go to church on Mother's Day because it hurt too bad. This year was exact opposite of the dark, bleak, sadness of last year. It was a day filled with joy, light and happiness! All week long I had been singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" to Jonathan while I fed him. For some reason God had put it on my heart. Guess what we sang at church on Sunday...you got it, that very song! Coincidence? I don't think so! I've always known that God is loving and faithful, but I've experienced that more this week than I have in a long time! Thank you Lord for all your blessings!

Pictures after church

I love my little man!

Getting tired trying to get another picture at our picnic

What a cutie!

Happy smiles

Jonathan is almost 10 weeks old and the time is flying by! Everyone told us that it would, but it REALLY does! We went to the pediatrician today for his 2 month check up and he weighed 13 pounds and 11 1/2 ounces and measured 23 inches long! People are always surprised when we tell them how old he is...they think he's about a month older. :)
These past few weeks have been wonderful with him. He's much more alert and smiling more and more! It makes our hearts melt! He's sleeping better during the night. Not through the night yet (he usually wakes up for 1 feeding). Of course we'd love for him to sleep longer, but we know it's just for a season so we're trying to savor every day of it. Amazingly, me and my night owl self have actually come to love the early morning feedings! It's so quiet and I love that sweet time we get to spend together.
Pray for us these next few weeks. I start back to work in 2 weeks (I hope it doesn't kill me!) so we're hoping what little of a schedule we have doesn't get completely lost. Since I work nights, we're coordinating our schedules so that one of us can always be home with him and he won't have to go to daycare. I don't know how it's going to work exactly but I know that God is faithful and will provide for ALL of our needs (even work schedules!).

First smile caught on camera!

He loves lying on his back, but HATES tummy time!

He helped his daddy cheer on the North Carolina Tarheels as they won the basketball national championship



What a sweet boy!

6 weeks and growing!

I can't believe our little boy will be 6 weeks old this week! JP and I still look at each other sometimes and say how crazy it is that he's even here in the first place! We're all doing well and have established a little bit of a routine. We're learning what his cries mean most of the time (didn't think THAT would ever happen!) and are getting better at meeting his needs. He and I have pretty much figured out this breastfeeding thing so that's a HUGE deal! I keep telling everyone that a c-section is nothing compared to breastfeeding!
We took him for his 1 month visit to the pediatrician last week and had a good report. He weighed 11 lbs 1 oz and had grown to 21.5 inches long! We couldn't believe he weighed that much! For all you medical people out there, he has a blocked tear duct and a floppy trachea, but those are both insignificant newborn issues that he'll grow out of in a few months hopefully. His doctor said he was healthy and we think he's pretty perfect too! :)
Here are a few pictures that I took when he was 1 month old.

This is what he wore to church for his first time - his Nana made it for him and he was so handsome! (He was so good in church too, so quiet!)He's gotten so alert lately!

He loves to sleep on his hands, like he's napping in school or something!

Baby Jonathan is here!

On February 5 at 5:19pm we welcomed Jonathan Merrill Patterson Jr. into the world! He was a healthy (and surprising!) 8 lbs 9 oz and 20 and 1/4 inches long! We came to the hospital on Wednesday night to be induced and things started off well. By early afternoon on Thursday, however, we realized that he was going to be too big to come out naturally. So we prepared ourselves for a c-section. No, this wasn't our ideal plan but God really provided us with His peace in making this decision with my doctor. The section went wonderfully and Jonathan came out without any problems. The recovery wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated, and I was moving around comfortably again in about a week. Even though the delivery looked completely different than we had planned, the whole experience was wonderful and filled with love and support from our family, friends and my sweet friends at work. God blessed the whole experience from beginning to end and I wouldn't change a thing!
After some breastfeeding difficulties I was nervous about him gaining enough weight, but at his 1 week checkup he weighed 8-12! His pediatrician was very proud and said he was exceeding his goals and was a very healthy little boy! We're now all doing well and getting adjusted to our new lives. We've learned the importance of swaddling (it's amazing!) and how to put makeup on while holding a baby, among MANY other lessons! :) Thank you to everyone for all of your thoughts, calls and prayers. Remember us as we continue to settle in and learn more about each other!