Happy Birthday To Me!

Yesterday was my birthday. It was an amazing day! In the morning, Ben took Joshua and let me sleep all the way until 6am! Woohoo! After I got up, Ben made me a cup of tea and gave me my presents. Woohoo again! :) First, I want to give a little shout out to Ben for his wrapping job. Just look at how beautiful my presents were! Ok, back to the gifts. From my mom I got a pair of winter boots (you know you're a real grown up when you get excited over winter boots!), and from Ben I got a BEAUTIFUL necklace! I have been wanting a piece of aquamarine (Joshua's birthstone) jewelery that I could wear everyday. This was so much nicer than I had thought I'd get! :) After presents, we went over to our new house and did a few things and then it was time to get ready for pictures!!! I found a photographer on craigslist (LOVE that place) that was doing mini photo sessions for an extremely reasonable price so I signed us up and ohmygosh am I glad I did! Amanda was so much fun and she got some amazing shots of Joshua and the three of us. We did some pictures of Josh and mommy, some of Josh and daddy, some of the three of us, but the majority of them were of Joshua and he ate it up. He's a total ham when he sees the camera. As soon as it appears, he smiles. What a nut! So for the whole 45 minutes, Joshua smiled and laughed and captivated everyone. It was awesome. As soon as we get our proofs, I'll share them with you. I CAN'T WAIT!!!! After pictures, we grabbed a bite to eat and then came home to put our jammies on and snuggle. It was a wonderful birthday. But then again, how could it have been anything but wonderful with this face to look at all day long?!


Hmmm...I know I'm forgetting something.....oh yeah, I got another present today..........

A NIECE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gina & David had a little girl! Mom is out in California basking in the glow of becoming a nana again and she called right after the baby was born so we could hear her first cries. Mom sent a picture a few hours after she arrived and she is perfect and unbelievably beautiful!! As of right now (7:30am 11/30) I don't know weight, length or any other vitals but I'm sure going to find out today! This little miracle also didn't have a name last I had heard. But I'm sure Gina and David are going to find a beautiful name for her and I can't wait to know what my niece's name is. :) I can't wait to meet her in person and kiss her little cheeks!


See? It was the best birthday EVER.

Songs for Joshua - Week 4

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope your day is filled with food, family & love and reasons to be thankful. The amount of things that I have to be thankful for today is so overwhelming it brings me to tears. To name just a few, I have a wonderful & devoted husband, family that supports us, a warm place to sleep and plenty to eat. I have freedoms that others don't have because of the country that I was born in and because of the people willing to defend us (we love you Jay!). I have hope for the future and beyond because of Jesus. But I think it's pretty obvious what's on top of my Things To Be Thankful For list...I have a beautiful, smart, healthy (well, mostly...he's getting over his first cold!) little miracle named Joshua.

This week's song is one that just makes my heart smile. Every word resonates with me. I tried to find a favorite phrase or line from the song, but I can't! Although, when it gets to "I hope your tears are few and fast..." I usually burst into tears. Go ahead. Listen to this song and see if it doesn't bring you to tears as well!

"Amazing" - Janelle

The morning cold and raining
Dark before the dawn could come
How long in twilight waiting
Longing for the rising sun

You came like crashing thunder
Breaking through these walls of stone
You came with wide eyed wonder
Into all this great unknown

Hush now don’t you be afraid
I promise you I’ll always stay
I’ll never be that far away
I’m right here with you

You’re so amazing
You shine like the stars
You’re so amazing
The beauty you are
You came blazing
Right into my heart
You’re so amazing
You are, You are

You came from Heaven shining
Breath of God still fresh on you
The beating heart inside me
Crumbled at this one so new

No matter where, how far you wander
For a thousand years or longer
I will always be there for you
Right here with you

You’re so amazing
You shine like the stars
You’re so amazing
The beauty you are
You came blazing
Right into my heart
You’re so amazing
You are

I hope your tears are few and fast
I hope your dreams come true at last
I hope you find love that goes on and on and on and on and on
I hope you wish on every star
I hope you never fall too far
I hope this world can see how wonderful you are

You’re so amazing
You shine like the stars
You’re so amazing
The beauty you are
You came blazing
Right into my heart
You’re so amazing
You are, you are

Can I Have Your Attention Please...

I just wanted to let you all know...

WE'RE CLOSING ON OUR HOUSE TOMORROW AT 3PM!!!!!

That's all. :)

Ho, Ho, Ho!

I'm so excited about all the Christmas traditions we get to carry on and all the new traditions we'll start with Joshua. One thing that I'm sure will be a tradition will be a visit to Santa each year. This year, Joshua seemed to enjoy it. Of course, it may have been the three girls behind the camera trying to get his attention! :) Here's our little flirt in action.

So ladies and gentlemen...it's time to turn on the Christmas music, get your Santa hats out, and let the countdown begin!

A Special Message From Joshua...

Happy, happy, happy Birthday, Jodi! Joshua is sending smiles and giggles all the way to North Carolina!! He even made a special video for you!
Happy Birthday Aunt Jodi! from Jamie Nodine on Vimeo.

He also tried to eat your sign, but what can you expect from a 7 month old?! :)
Happy Birthday Aunt Jodi - The Blooper Reel from Jamie Nodine on Vimeo.

We love you and wish we could be with you to celebrate! We're with you in spirit. :)

A Bunch of Random Updates...

Ok...lots has been happening in Joshua's life so it's time to update you all. :) First and foremost, we saw the pediatric opthamologist this week and he said that Joshua's eyes look perfect! For this, we are so thankful.

Josh recently got to visit with a new friend. Some of Ben's best friends had a baby boy in August and this was our first opportunity to go meet him. Little Shaun is such a sweet little boy. He is just precious. And as I'm holding this little tiny baby, I realized...this is why people have more than one baby! There I am, rocking little Shaun, and I got all teary remembering how little Joshua used to be. And I wanted that back. Then I smacked myself on the forehead and remembered that I haven't slept more than a few hours at a time for almost 8 months and decided that for the time being, it's just best to visit little babies. :)
The weekend that we went to meet Shaun, Aunt Jodi also came for a visit. Yay!! (Dear Jodi, I'm sorry that I'm posting a picture of you in your cupcake jammies on the internet, but the picture is just too cute! Joshua loves you!) Notice how straight Joshua is sitting?! That's something we've been working on in therapy. .It's coming along quite nicely I think!

We've also had some down time at home. Joshua and Ben enjoy watching Thomas the Tank Engine on Saturday mornings. And I enjoy watching them. :)

I just had to post these pictures as well. When Auntie Gina came to visit in October, she brought along a present from soon to be Uncle David. This adorable sweater! It was too big on Josh then, but I tried it on him the other day and it fit perfectly!
(oh my gosh, I LOVE the back!)

Joshua got his hand splint yesterday. We've decided to splint his right hand (only 20 minutes a day) in an attempt to prevent him from keeping it fisted ALL THE TIME. It's a custom splint, made just for him. :) So we tried it out during therapy yesterday, and he did so well! He was able to hold a toy in his right hand for a really long time and he even used his left hand to play with the rattle! I was unbelievably impressed. Therapy was full of surprises yesterday! Joshua has an aversion to putting anything in his mouth and we're trying to remedy that with the z-vibe. He's recently allowed me to put it on his tongue, on the sides of his mouth and on the roof of his mouth for a brief second. Yesterday, Joshua decided that it was about time to chew on his z-vibe!

Finally, here are a few videos of Joshua's other recent accomplishments.

First, Josh recently started playing his little bongo drums, and boy was it exciting! We've tried to find toys with BIG buttons so that he has more success when playing with toys. This bongo drum is perfect for him. It also collapses so that when he starts to crawl, we can roll it and he can chase it. Genius! By the way, if you have sound, you may want to turn it down a little bit. I get crazy excited when Joshua accomplishes something and I'm sure you don't want to hear me cheering him on. :)

Joshua playing the bongos from Jamie Nodine on Vimeo.

Second, Joshua has figured out how to wave! I don't think think he has any idea what it actually means, but he's doing it! Whether it's mimicking me or whether he knows what it means, who cares! Something else to note...he's using his RIGHT HAND to wave!
Joshua waves 'hi'! from Jamie Nodine on Vimeo.

Oh, he's so smart! Must get that from his mama. :)

Songs for Joshua - Week 3

Joshua LOVES his daddy. They have special time together in the morning while Ben is eating breakfast. He sits Josh on his lap and Joshua watches everything that goes into Ben's mouth. He watches the spoon dip into the cereal bowl, watches it go up to daddy's mouth, watches daddy chew. And the whole time, Joshua salivates & sucks on his tounge. He watches daddy's coffee mug go up, watches daddy drink & then he wants to touch the mug when daddy puts it back down. It's adorable. Joshua also has a special call for Ben. When he wants his daddy, Josh will fix Ben with a stare and "call" until Ben comes over and picks him up.

So the reason I love this week's song so much is because I can see this coming to life in a few years. :)

"Watching You" - Rodney Atkins

Driving through town just my boy and me
With a happy meal in his booster seat
Knowing that he couldn't have the toy
Till his nuggets were gone
A green traffic light turned straight to red
I hit my brakes and mumbled under my breath
His fries went a flying and his orange drink covered his lap
Well then my four year old said a four letter word
That started with "s" and I was concerned
So I said son now now where did you learn to talk like that

He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We got cowboy boots and camo pants
Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I've been watching you

We got back home and I went to the barn
I bowed my head and I prayed real hard
Said Lord please help me help my stupid self
Then this side of bedtime later that night
Turning on my son's Scooby Doo nightlight
He crawled out of bed and he got down on his knees
He closed his little eyes, folded his little hands
And spoke to God like he was talking to a friend
And I said son now where'd you learn to pray like that

He said I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
We like fixing things and holding mama's hand
Yeah we're just alike, hey ain't we dad
I wanna do everything you do
So I've been watching you

With tears in my eyes I wrapped him in a hug
Said my little bear is growing up
He said but when I'm big I'll still know what to do

Cause I've been watching you dad, ain't that cool
I'm your buckaroo, I wanna be like you
And eat all my food and grow as tall as you are
Then I'll be as strong as superman
We'll be just alike, hey won't we dad
When I can do everything you do
Cause I've been watching you

Ta Da!

Just wanted to show you what I saw as I drove by our house today...

We're just waiting for a few little details to get taken care of and then we'll have a closing date. Oh, and when I asked about taking possession before closing so we could get some painting done and get new carpet laid in Joshua's bedroom, our realtor said it shouldn't be a problem. He said, "It could probably happen this weekend if you want!" Yippee!! I don't know if we're ready for it to happen this weekend, but I'm pretty sure it's going to happen soon. We'll keep you updated!

And because I know the hardcore Joshua fans (read: Auntie Jodi) are going to send me nasty emails if I don't put a picture of Josh up...here you go.

TWO teeth!

Nope, not trying to catch flies, this is how Joshua tells you he wants to kiss you. I just got done getting about 50 wet, slobbery, wonderful kisses from him. Mmm, mmm good! He's apparently very excited about the house as well. :)

Songs for Joshua - Week 2

Songs are such an emotional thing for me. I can't even begin to count the number of times I've had to sit in my car to finish crying & touch up my makeup after I hear a song on the radio that touches me. This week's song is one that really got me going this week. Every time I heard it, there were buckets of tears because I could really identify with it...even though it's about a daddy & a little girl.

Joshua has been having trouble sleeping. At first, it was just at night. Now, it's naptime as well. And when he's overtired and crying and I'm at the end of my rope, I remember that it's not going to be like this forever. He's growing so fast and sometimes I feel like I'm missing it. Like it's going too fast for me to really remember & enjoy each moment. So I have to remind myself to enjoy every moment. The moments when he's happy and laughing and the moments when he's crying and miserable. Because it won't be like this for long.

(If it doesn't load, click the pop-out player button and it'll open in a new window)

"It Won't Be Like This For Long" - Darius Rucker

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Laying there in bed listening
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK

It wont be like this for long
One day soon we'll look back laughing
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby, just hold on
It won't be like this for long

Four years later bout four thirty
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says, now don't you worry
This will only last a week or two

It won't be like this for long
One day soon you'll drop her off
And she won't even know your gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It won't be like this for long

Someday soon she'll be a teenager
And at times he'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the aisle
And he'll raise her veil
But right now she up and crying
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers

He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watching her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows


It won't be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah this phase is gonna fly by
So he's trying to hold on
Cause won't be like this for long
It won't be like this for long

Thoughtful Thursday Songs for Joshua

There's a thing many people are choosing to do on their blogs called Wordless Wednesday. They post a picture with no words or no explaination. I thought about doing it, but come on...do you really think I could post something with no words?! That's like asking me to talk without using my hands. Simply impossible. So I've chosen to do something different. I was going to call it 'Thoughtful Thursday', but I just couldn't get past the cheesiness of it. So I'm refusing to use alliteration and just going with what it is.

I have a playlist of songs that I play for Joshua when he's fussy or tired or needs a change of pace. He LOVES music and he still sings along when I sing to him. So I've decided to share my playlist with you. I'm going to post one a week, along with the lyrics and some of my thoughts. Ok, I'll come clean. I'm not sharing the songs with you because I think you really care about what songs I sing to Joshua. This website has been a useful tool in sharing all that is happening with Josh, but it has become more than that for me. It's Joshua's virtual baby book. His real baby book has been packed and I've yet to see it surface. So every entry serves as a reminder for me of things I want to write down and put in his baby book. Someday. Hopefully. :) I want to remember these songs and what they mean to me right now and it just so happens that you get to participate in my attempt at remembering. So here goes...

"Every Moment" - Joy Williams

This song isn't so much for Joshua as it is for me. It's a reminder to cherish and remember every moment of every day with Joshua because all too soon day becomes night and another day is gone.

(If the playlist doesn't open, click the pop-out button and it'll open in a new window.)

We laughed out loud ‘til we cried
And the tears were sweet
Midnight melted to morning
A moment faded to memory
All these days
They just slip away through our fingers
So…

Don’t let go
Hold onto every moment
Always know
Hold onto every moment that
You can

We move on with no regrets to our destiny
Held by the hands of the Father
We share His love and He leads us through
All these days
They just slip away through our fingers
So…

Don’t let go
Hold onto every moment
Always know
Hold onto every moment that
You can

Running through yesterday into tomorrow
Don’t let it just drift away
Forget about tying the hands of time
Give every minute to the One who gave us today

Don’t let go
Hold onto every moment
Always know
Hold onto every moment that
You can

What A Difference!

I'm constantly surprised when I look back at pictures of Josh at how much he's grown & changed. The difference a few months makes is really incredible! Just look at these pictures -

Daddy & Joshua (3 months old)


Daddy & Joshua (7 months old)


The other big change in Joshua is the emergence of his SECOND TOOTH! Both bottom teeth are now through. It makes nights so much more fun now that his teeth hurt & he can't sleep through the pain. Oh so much more fun. :) He's also seemed to have a little language explosion. He regularly sounds like a little pirate motorboat "aahhhhggggrrrbbbbb". When I ask him to say mama, he either laughs or says "aaaaaa". Hey, "aaaaaa" is halfway there! :)