Cinco!

We have a five month old!  The time is going by so fast.  Joey continues to get bigger and bigger and he is hitting all of his milestones.  He is now a little rollie pollie!

Here are some photos and updates since last month:

Health and Medical Update

Joey had his five month check up today. He weighed in at 16lbs 12oz and 28 inches, which puts him in the 60th percentile for weight and 97th for height.  His pediatrician was pleased with everything that is going on with both health and development.  He finally got Joey's file from CHLA, and he said he enjoyed the "light read".  And when he listened to his heart, he said everything sounded good but that he still had a "Maytag washer in there".  Which means that he was still hearing extra blood flow between the chambers of his heart where the holes were not fully repaired.  I gave up trying to listen to Joey's heart after the first time I tried at home because his heartbeat does not sound normal, but that is just his normal, for now. We will see what the cardiologist says next time!

At our last appointment, his doctor was little concerned with the shape of his head and how anterior one of his ears was because he always favored his head to one side, so this month we were diligent about making his head go the other direction while laying on the floor playing or sleeping.  He was very happy with the shape of his head this time around, so we have avoided the need for a helmet, for now. :)  He did show a little concern with Joey's right eye not being as strong as the other, so we will try playing some more tracking/following games with him in order to strengthen the muscles on the weaker side.

Grandma got to come with us to the doctor this time and although she didn't like to see Joey get his shots, she couldn't stop cracking up when he was hiding from the doctor underneath his blanket and wouldn't stop playing with the paper on the table while the pediatrician was teaching Mommy about feeding food.  

We still have not had any cardiology check ups, but we have cardio clinic, an echo, cardiology and electrophysiology appointments right after Labor Day.  Fingers crossed that everything is looking good and that they schedule his next check up at least three months away.  It feels like forever since we have been to CHLA, but I guess that is a good thing.  I wonder if I'll remember how to get there...?  (haha, yeah right)

Firsts and Milestones

This time last month Joey was barely rolling over, and if he did roll over, he would get his arm stuck underneath him and he would cry. Now it's a little bit different.  He would roll all the way into the kitchen if we let him!  We put him on the floor and in a minute or two he has already rolled into the couch. And now we put him in his crib facing one way and when we go in to check on him he has done a complete 180!  During tummy time, he loves to wiggle his butt up in the air, so I know that once his arms are stronger, we will have a crawler!  I guess its time to start thinking about baby proofing the house.  

To all of the other parents out there, what is one baby proofing product or method that you couldn't live without?

Joey has also found his feet this month.  He loves to grab them and pull his socks off.  He can't quite get his toes in his mouth yet, but he tries!

Although its still a little early for baby food, last month the pediatrician suggested that we start to feed him some runny rice cereal, not necessarily for the nutrition, but to practice eating from a spoon and swallowing.  Sometimes he likes it, sometimes he doesn't.  More recently he has seemed more interested, in chewing on the spoon mostly, but he is making progress.  We can start feeding him pureed fruits and veggies in September.   I have already made and frozen batches of peach and plum baby food, so that I could take advantage of them being in season now.  We will now have a few weeks to get ready for all of the eating fun.  The high chair is ready, and Joey even helped Grandpa put it together!

Likes and Dislikes

We have definitely found Joey's favorite song this month!  He loves the Baby Shark song, which is by Pink Fong on YouTube.  He also likes the songs from Dave and Ava and Little Baby Bum.  (BTW, there are a lot of weird nursery rhymes that I was unaware of until now... "Johnny, Johnny, yes Papa" anyone?)

Joey is definitely a MORNING PERSON. He is so happy, smiley and playful right when he wakes up each morning!  He loves to play and talk in his crib before we get him up for the day, and then during his morning playtime he rolls all over the place!  So much that we have to create a "baby cage" with and upside-down fitted sheet on the floor with corners wrapped around things that hold the elastic edges up off the ground.  This is the only thing that prevents him from rolling onto the hardwood floor! 

Last month the jumper was just a way for Joey to hang and spin around in a circle, but now he is finally getting the hang of it!  Well, at least he can touch the ground now.  He will get the jumping part of it soon, I know it!

Our little guy has spent a lot of the last two weeks watching the Olympics and cheering on the USA!

Until now, Joey hasn't really been into toys, but he can now reach for and grab his toys.  They immediately go into his mouth, but that's okay!  

Joey has done pretty well with his sleep and nap training.  It's still hard to put him in his crib and listen to him cry, but he usually settles down on his own and he loves his snuggling up to his blankey.  Sometimes he falls asleep with his face completely covered up by his blanket.  (Don't worry, it's one of those really thin and lightweight bamboo swaddle blankets!)

Family Update

Mom and Dad are doing great.  Definitely getting more sleep, and getting into the groove.  We try to do some family outings when we are both off work and we still like running around and chasing Pokemon throughout Monrovia.  

Joey got to see his Sbicca side of the family for the August birthday celebration, and he had so much fun in the pool with everyone! He can't wait for the other little ones that will be joining that side of the family in a few months! 

Grandma and Grandpa continue to watch Joey about three days a week when both Jamie and I are working, and we are so grateful for their help.  Next week, Grandpa is on his own because Grandma is going out of town for work!  I can't wait to see the outfits Joey will get next week!

Joey is happy that his Grandpa Don is doing better after his recent back surgery!  He likes to go visit him and go out to lunch on days that Daddy has off.  

Scruffy continues to howl when Joey cries or is in a chatty mood.  Luckily, he does not howl when Joey cries in his room or crib, which is great since sleep and nap training would be nearly impossible if he did.  Scruffy recently had to get one of his toenails removed after he cracked it and bled all over.  But after hobbling around for a few days, is all better now!

Next month we will let you know how our first rounds of veggie feedings have gone and we will see if Joey has any new favorite songs!  See you soon!

Four Months

Today marks four months for little Joseph James! He smiles all the time and he loves everyone that he meets.

Here are some photos and updates since last month:

Health and Medical Update

We had one quick pediatrician appointment since the last update.  He got his first round of immunizations and did pretty well with them.  His herniated belly button has gotten much smaller and looks to be going back to normal on its own!

He is definitely starting to take after Jamie in his size!  He has gone from the scrawny little baby we brought home from the hospital whose weight and height were in the 14th and 17th percentile, to now being in the 50th percentile in weight and 90th percentile in height!  He is going to be a big boy, for sure!

No cardiology appointments until September, but everything seems to be doing fine.  We haven't heard anything from the electrophysiologist after his monthly pacemaker tests, which is good.  No call means all is well!

We have a fourth month check up in a couple days.  So far we are really loving our pediatrician.  The only issues that we are having is getting CHLA to send his cardio records after each appointment to the pediatrician... but he says that they always have that issue with Children's.  I learned that each time I will have to do a medical records request in order to get those sent.  Now I know...

Firsts and Milestones

They told us from the very start that babies with CHDs may tend to have some developmental delays and may reach milestones a little late than their heart healthy friends, however (knock on wood), this doesn't seem to be the case with Joey so far.  He has hit all of his milestones, a lot of them earlier than expected.  His neck is really strong and he has great control of his head when being carried or sitting up. He started to grab things this month, and he definitely knows all about his hands.  He has rolled over both ways with a little bit of help, either with a small incline, or with something for him to grab onto and pull himself over.  He still has trouble getting his arm out from under him when he rolls onto his stomach, though.  

He is super active and loves to kick and wiggle.  Its amazing how much he can move, when you put him down on his playmate for a while.  He has been known to rotate 180 degrees or shimmy himself all the way across his mat.  

Our little patriot celebrated his first Fourth of July this year.  He went to Grandpa and Grandma's house and swam in the pool.  Everyone loved to hold him and he got to meet a lot of new friends and family. His cousin Mason can't wait until he is bigger and can actually play with him!

Likes and Dislikes

It is very rare that you will find something that Joey dislikes... I joke that he has a bad case of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and that is why he gets so cranky when he needs to go to sleep... he just doesn't want to miss anything!

He continues to like TV.  We put on animated nursery rhymes and play songs and he kicks and kicks until he gets too tired.  His favorite right now is the song about the monkeys jumping on the bed.  He also really likes The Office theme song, as mommy has been working her way through all the seasons on Netflix again.  

He loves to smile and the easiest way to get him to smile is to make fart noises (yes, he is a true boy).  He also loves daddy's funny faces and how he flies him around like an airplane.  Joey is sooo close to giggling, he tries, but only a big breath of air comes out.  I can't wait for those little giggles!

Grandma recently bought him a jumper and although he doesn't dislike it... he just doesn't know what to do in it.  Most of the time he just leans to one side which causes him to swing around in a circle until he gets all twisted up.  But he will get the hang of it pretty soon!  

Joey also loves going on walks to catch Pokemon!  He is really good at finding them!

Joey's First Fire

Early in July Joey experienced his first wildfire and he even helped grandpa evacuate!  My parents' house was pretty close to the Fish Fire a few weeks ago, but all is well.  My dad was evacuated for a couple days and had to sleep on our couch (mom was out of town), but everything turned out just fine!

Family Update

I went back to work at the end of June. (WAAAaaahhhHH!) But Joey transitioned pretty easily to me not being there.  About three days a week Grandma and Grandpa come over and watch him(Grandpa even started changing diapers!), and the rest of the time he is at home with Daddy.  I love getting pictures and videos of him while I'm gone.   I also love to see what outfit Jamie has chosen for him on the days that he is home, its always a surprise!  :)

Joey loves his days with Daddy because he usually gets to go out to lunch and see Grandpa.  Jamie says that no matter where they go, the waitresses go crazy for him!  Everyone loves his blue eyes!

Scruffy still howls whenever Joey cries.  But I'm now starting to think that they are in on it together!  We think Joey cries sometimes to hear Scruffy howl! Veronica got a great photo of Scruffy during one of Joey's fussy times!

The craziest thing happened this month as well... I learned that my manicurist has a son that was born with TGA as well!  He is four now and doing great.  Such a small world!  Even though 1 in 100 kids are born with a CHD, only about 5-7% of those babies are born with TGA (.05% total), and it just so happens that we came across each other without even trying.  

Coming up is the Sbicca Family August birthday celebration, and Joey can't wait to see everyone and go swimming, of course!  

Thanks to everyone that continues to check in on the blog! Hopefully these updates allow you to see just how well Joey is doing!  

See you next month!

Three Months Old

Today Joey is three months old!  He is getting bigger, hitting all of his milestones, and his personality is growing.

Here are some updates and photos since the last post:

Health and Medical Update

Joey has had one cardiology appointment this month.  He did really well with his echocardiogram again (fingers crossed this continues).  He is cleared for three months and we don't have any cardiology or pacemaker appointments until September!  His scars are all healing really, really well.  The bump he had has smoothed out and everything is lightening up in color.  

Just this week Joey had his circumcision procedure done.  (They didn't want to do it until all of his chest incisions had healed.)  We had to go to a pediatric surgeon to do it and more anesthesia was needed than if they had done it at birth, but he is doing well with the recovery.  The first few hours when the numbness was wearing off were really no fun, but we are managing his pain with Tylenol.  

As you can see in some of the photos and videos, his belly button is still herniated.  It is actually smaller than it was before, but it remains something that they are just watching and monitoring.  

Joey hasn't had a pediatrician appointment since the last update but he goes in next week for his three month checkup and first round of immunizations.  I'm not sure which shots he will be getting, but he is behind so I'm sure there will be a few.  At the past appointment the doctor prescribed a lidocaine-type ointment to put on the injection sites before we leave the house to get his shots because his doctor said, "in this day in age, I don't think that kids should have to feel their shots!" Sounds good to me! Hopefully there are not too many adverse reactions and that he handles them well.  

Firsts and Milestones

Joey continues to hold his head up really well and he looks around all the time.  He has also begun to smile when you talk to him, which is really fun.  I can't wait until he can giggle!

He still likes tummy time and we practice rolling over every day.  He can do it with the help of the little incline of the couch and with a little push from Mommy or Daddy.  He loves to play on his play mat and kick and move to his music.

He has definitely found his hands this month. They are always in his mouth and he is very close to sucking his thumb.  His hands also grab onto hair, necklaces, toys and blankets.  

On Memorial Day, Joey went swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's for the first time and he loved it.  He has since gone in one more time.  He is still a little too small for his floaty, but he loves floating on his back in the water and Mommy even dunked him all the way under!  I have a feeling that this boy will love the water and be a natural swimmer!

For quite a while now we have been blessed with Joey sleeping through the night.  He usually goes to bed around 10pm and sleeps until 5 or 6am.  Sometimes he even sleeps past 7 o'clock in the morning.  Every once in a while he will have a bad night, but for the most part he is an excellent sleeper!

Joey finally got to meet his Uncle Nick this week.  He was also visited by Marla and got to meet the Palillas on Memorial Day.  He met all of his Uncle Tim's friends when he attended his first wedding.  And Nora's first birthday party was a fun time too!

We also enjoyed some family outings to the Monrovia street fair, LA Zoo and the Natural History Museum!

Likes and Dislikes

Joey continues to like bath time and getting snuggly in his jammies.  He LOVES to stretch in the morning when he wakes up.  He likes his playtime music and when people make funny faces and sounds.  He loves to be carried in mama's wrap and will soon try to be carried by dad in the Ergobaby.  

It is safe to say that Joey's favorite thing this month is watching TV! No matter where he is, he will twist his neck towards the TV.  He loves watching the bright colors and flashing lights of our giant new TV.  

Family Update

Scruffy continues to do really well with Joey.  He still has some bouts of jealously, but that is to be expected.  Scruffy has also started to howl and cry when the baby cries, especially when he cries and no one is in the room to help him, Scruffy will just cry and look for someone to help his little brother. It is the funniest thing most of the time.  EXCEPT when Joey and the dog are wailing and you can't get either of them to quiet down, it really is no fun! 

Grandma went back to work and had some trips to Pittsburgh and Boston, so I was at home by myself whenever Jamie was at work.  Thank goodness Joey is on a pretty good rhythm and schedule so the days weren't too difficult on my own.

Jamie started his new position at work as a Closer and we are still getting used to his new schedule. He is doing great! He works very hard, long hours and so whenever he has a day off we try to go out on a family adventure.  

I postponed going back to work for three weeks, so my first day back is the 27th of June.  It will be a sad day when I have to leave him! But he will be in good hands with Grandma! 

Joey is a big, strong, cute, and happy three-month-old now. We are so thankful that we have not had any complications with his heart so far and we hope that it continues that way.  Our next hurdle will be immunizations and Mommy going back to work!  We can't wait to celebrate Jamie's first Father's Day! See you all back here in July! Joey can't wait to see the fireworks!