5 months!

It's hard to believe Jay is already 5 months old!

He is such a joy, and we fall in love with him more and more each day!

Some highlights from the past month would be... Jay celebrated his first Thanksgiving, he had his first cold, and he is sleeping through the night! He will reach for and grasp objects, and can "jump" in his jump-a-roo now that his toes touch the floor. Jay still enjoys eating and can recognize and help hold his bottle. He enjoys bath time, riding in the car, and snuggle time... which this mommy just loves! :) He is becoming much more vocal and spends most of his time chewing whatever he can get in his mouth.


 

4 months!

Jay is 4 months old!

He is 26 3/4 in long and weighs 18 lbs 13 oz so needless to say, he's a growing boy! 

Jay is such a happy and content baby! He is interacting with people and toys more and more these days. It's so fun to see his different expressions as he tries to figure out things around him. He likes to play in his jump-a-roo and can sit in his Bumbo seat with minimal support. 

Towards the end of October, Mommy went back to school, and Jay started "play school!" Here is our first day picture :)

This little munchkin dressed up as a lion for Halloween! We didn't really trick or treat... Just made our rounds visiting family. 

Jay is such a precious gift! We are so blessed! It's hard to imagine what our family was like without him! 

3 months!

Happy 3 months to our little man! 

....believe it or not, I started this post a few weeks ago when Jay first turned 3 months, but life happened, and i am just now getting around to finishing it. 

I'm loving this stage Jay is in right now. He is so alert and active. He is looking around more, and interacting/"talking" with those around him. He has discovered his tongue and likes to smack his lips! He is doing a great job gaining more head control and can roll over from tummy to back. 

Mommy and Jay getting ready for the Clemson game! 

Family trip to Sky Top Apple Orchard

We have started a bedtime routine, and Jay has started sleeping in his crib at night!

I can't believe Jay is almost 4 months old! He is growing so fast :) 

We are so blessed! 

2 months!

Jay turned two months old on the 17th!

He started the day with a check up appointment and had to get three shots. Bless his heart... I have always heard it's worse on the mommy, and I didn't believe it until that appointment. Overall, everything looks good. He's up to 14lbs. 8oz. and still measures 24in. long. The doctor informed us that Jay has "torticollis" which is basically a crick in the neck. In Jay's case, he favors tilting his head to the left, so we will go to a physical therapist to learn stretches that will help strengthen those neck muscles.

In other news, Jay has definitely started interacting with us more this month, and his smiles just make me melt! He loves to look at fans and lights, and of course eat and be held :) We downloaded a "white noise" app on our phones, and it's magic! We especially like to use it when Jay is getting fussy in his car seat. It calms him right down!

life with jay...

i am loving being on maternity leave with Jay! some days we venture out, and some we are just content to stay at home.. either way, we make the most of our time together :) 

activity time.

stroller and car seat rides.

lots of cuddle time. 

...and even a little bit of fussy times :)

no matter what, I love time spent with my little man! 

1 month!

how is it that we have a one month old?! it seems like we were just bringing jay home from the hospital.

this past month has been overwhelming and hard at times, but has brought us more joy and love than we ever thought possible. It has truly been the best month of our lives!

Our baby boy weighs 12 lbs. 5 oz. and is 24 inches long! Needless to say... He is our "big" little man! 

Jay loves to eat and cuddle... I seriously could snuggle him all day! He is also becoming more alert throughout the day. During tummy time, he will kick his legs and turn his head from side to side. He's a pretty content baby, but will let you know when he is tired and hungry! :) 

We are so blessed! 

jay's newborn pictures...

... thought i'd share a few of our favorites from jay's newborn photo shoot :) 

thanks to my parents for this timeless gift and to jana candler for taking these beautiful photos!

birth story part 2.

at about 4am on wednesday, july 16th we were moved to labor and delivery. 

i'm ready! (and feeling much better once having the epidural!)

this cup was constantly filled with ice chips throughout the day... 

finally, sometime in the early morning hours of thursday, the 17th, i began pushing. after about an hour- with not much luck or progress, it was decided that i would have a c-section. i was okay with this, seeing as it was a possibility all along, and after 24 hours of waiting, i just wanted to have my baby! :)

so, at 5:42 am, Jay Nichols entered the world!

so thankful for this precious gift! :)

jay's birth story...

at my 40 week doctor's appointment, we decided that if jay did not come on his own, i'd be induced. so, on tuesday, july 15th, kevin and i headed to the hospital to have our son!


here is my final "belly" picture... as we are leaving for the hospital. whoa! :)

we decided to eat our "last meal" at jason's deli in greenville...

then, it was on to the hospital at 6pm to get checked in!

this was the first room we were taken to and where we spent tuesday night.
i was given cytotec in order to prepare me for pitocin.
i was a little nervous since i've never been admitted to a hospital before, but the nurses were very understanding and explained everything that would be happening.

and the waiting began...

to be continued...

he's here!

james "jay" kevin nichols III was born on july 17th at 5:42am.
he weighed 9lbs 14oz and was 22 1/4 in long.


we are in love!!

thank you to everyone who has been praying for us during this incredible journey! God is so good, and we are so thankful for our little miracle :)

more updates to come... 

40 1/2 weeks!

july 9, 2014... baby jay's due date came and went...

i really thought we would be going to the hospital for a scheduled induction last week; however, the Lord had other plans :) i went to the doctor last tuesday, and since jay was still happy and healthy inside the womb, we decided to give him one more week to make an appearance on his own. 

however, he must be very comfortable inside because not much has changed since then. so, at my appointment today, we decided to go ahead and schedule the induction. kevin and i have to be at the hospital tomorrow evening at 6pm, and i will be induced on wednesday morning!

i'm thankful to have carried jay full term (and some), but i'm so ready for him to be here! ...although i will miss my "built in" shelf at times :)

thank you so much for all the prayers! we appreciate them more than you know! hopefully soon i'll be able to introduce you to our sweet miracle! :)