Chicken pox at 10 months

Sometimes right when you think life is going great, germs come and throw off your family groove. Jax was exposed to the chicken pox a couple weeks ago and his body tried really hard to fight it off but the spots finally came out last weekend. I explained a little about how this happened on my insta stories but in case you missed it, long story short Jax was exposed to it through another family member. (PSA for all you parents out there: if you think your kid is contagious even a little bit please stay home) This could've been avoided but looking at it with a positive perspective we're glad that he is getting them out of the way when he is little. He can't really itch his spots and it seems to be a more mild case with no other side effects other than those pesky spots. While we get over this little setback Jax is getting extra baths, staying in his jammies all day, and has been getting all the extra snuggles and Elmo he wants. I think he may be through the worst of it, now he's just at the stage where he looks like a 14 year old boy who just started puberty. 

In this middle of all this fun Jax turned 10 months! 2 more months and we will have a one year old y'all! I know every mom says it but man... time flies by! Fabian and I talked about the big one year old birthday party and decided against throwing a big party but I have a feeling that might be changing. I mean not only are we celebrating Jax but we, as parents, kept a human alive for a whole year! That should be celebrated right?

Jax has been consistently using his baby signs to tell us, mas (more), leche (milk), and all done. We've been working a lot on please and thank you because we would love for that to replace the karate sounding grunt he makes when asking for something. He also is soooo ready to start walking. He has been cruising along anything he can find. The couch, the dining table, the bathtub, he even takes one of his toys and will downward dog through the hallway. I am hoping we can see his first step but I have a feeling we're just gonna turn around he is going to be running.

I've had some people ask me about us speaking both Spanish and English to Jax and how that is working. Well here's the thing about babies, they are a clean slate. The more we teach him the more he learns and Jax responds to both languages. I would say our home and lifestyle is 50/50. Fabian is the one who speaks the most Spanish in our home. I am not the fluent parent but I am doing my best and am for sure learning more as we teach Jax. We listen to Spanish songs, are around family members who speak both Spanish and English and are submersing him in his culture. I love that Jax is going to be bi-lingual and that we can give him that gift as his parents. We're hoping in the next couple months we can get some words out of him, it will be interesting to see which language he speaks first!

Any first birthday party advice? Did you decide to do it big or small? Smash cake? Taco truck? Tell me your thoughts cause it looks like not only should we start saving but we should start planning too. 

- Bethany & Fabian 

What happened to my birth plan?

I think it's safe to say that I watched about 100 birth story videos on YouTube with the anticipation of having my own story to tell. This mama likes to plan so after hearing what happened to other women I made a birth plan that Fabian had agreed to help me follow. Keep reading to find out how nothing went according to that plan.

Very early on I had decided that I didn't want anyone else in the labor and delivery room with us. Baby daddy and doctors, that's all I wanted. We both decided that we would have some time to ourselves doing skin to skin with our baby before family members were allowed to come in and join us. We would tell our families though and if they wanted to wait they could. My family was in Michigan so other than a couple phone calls and some face-timing we didn't need to do much. I had planned to push baby out so I was 100% getting an epidural but did not want pitocin. I heard a lot of negatives and positives but I knew that I was not going to be able to take the pain especially if it lasted for hours. Fabian also told me that was not going to look and not to expect him to cut the umbilical cord because he was scared. A couple more minor things that I wanted in my birth plan was to go to the hospital after eating one more time, taking a shower, and I didn't want to battle any traffic on our way to the there. With that plan in place and bags packed we just waited for my water to break.

My water broke at 4:45pm on a Friday afternoon. There was no time to shower so we grabbed our stuff as I glanced at the clock and said to Fabian, "we're gonna hit traffic." On the way to the hospital he asked if I wanted to grab a burger to eat. When my water broke he was on his way to pick up dinner but had to turn around without the food. I said, no to the burger. I was dilated to a 4 so we had some time to wait and since I got my epidural they started pumping me with, pitocin. Since Fabian didn't eat dinner either, his sisters and parents joined us while we were waiting and flooded the room with the smell of Whataburger. After being in labor for 11 hours I was finally at a 10 and it was time to push. I pushed for 2 hours but nothing was happening. Baby would move a little but then go back up. Fabian's mom then came into the room and my mom was on speakerphone, I pushed for another hour and after the sweetest compliment that I have ever heard, "you have a very petite pubic bone," we knew Jax was not going to fit. C-Section.

I can honestly say that as they prepped me for a c-section I felt so peaceful. I knew the birth plan had changed and there was nothing I could do about it. They quickly wheeled me into the operating room and as I listened to the doctors and nurses just casually chatting away I was very aware that they were about to cut me open to get my son. I was a little relieved to know that the pushing was over and that I wouldn't rip or tear but knew that my recovery would look a lot different than what I had planned for. None of that mattered, I was about to hear the first cries from my son Jax.

Jax was born at 7:37am on June 17, 2017 weighing 9lbs and 2oz. I didn't see him get weighed or measured and I was unable to do skin to skin with him right away because I was shaking so badly, it wasn't safe. Family followed us back to our room and we all celebrated the birth of our first son. Later when I had calmed down and we were alone Fabian told me, "love, I know I said I wasn't going to look but... I saw it all. I even saw when they pushed on your belly and something popped out. The doctor caught it in a pan." We have videos and photos because my husband was the one who got to experience all the firsts with Jax.

Now looking back on my birth story, I wouldn't change anything. Not even the stench of Whataburger in our labor and delivery room. However your littles come into this world whether vaginally, a c-section, a surrogate, adoption, at your home or in a hospital. Once that baby is in your arms it won't even matter.

Everyone's story is unique just like their babies. Whether your birth went exactly as planned or if everything just happened and you had no choice but to go with the flow. Rest assured that God's hands were all over you and your baby. His plan is always the best one.

Happy National Cesarean Awareness Month! Feel free to read more about my birth story here! 

8 months old? What?

Pulling up on furniture, navigating under the dining room table, and discovering the step in the living room. Jax has kept himself busy as he picks up his speed and figures out how to roam from room to room. He has also kept us busy as we create different barriers to keep him safe. We've got a package of toilet paper and water bottles blocking off the laundry room. We're using a plastic tub full of unopened kitchen supplies to block off the living room and at all times doors to bedrooms and restrooms are closed. We're using what we've got because I have a feeling he is going to be up on his feet real soon.

The weather has given us lots of rainy days this past month which means he was home with Papi during the day. I can tell the extra time they spent together created an every deeper bond between them and I love it! I love seeing them tossing the plush soccer ball throughout the house and watching Jax react to the energy that his papi has! I never thought our living room would turn into a soccer field but I love it! Also, I would like to mention that my husband does a pretty solid Elmo impression!

Once all the rain went away we were left with warmer weather and took advantage of the park right down the road from our home. Jax experienced the swing for the first time and he didn't hate it but didn't seem to love it. He also discovered grass! It was hilarious to see him brushing his hand across the pokey grass and trying to eat it. Once again, didn't hate it but didn't love it. It's those moments when I see my personality come out in him. When I try new things even if I like them, I don't always show it on the outside.

 

I love his curious personality. He is so much like his Papi and is down for anything! He will try new foods, explore the unknown, and smile at strangers. It's such an amazing and scary responsibility to raise up a person. As we keep navigating each day through this hood we learn what we can and show Jax through our behavior how bring out the best in each moment!

 

Oh... Jax is also pointing at everything! We love it!

Our 7 Month Old

 

Jax has one tooth, three more on the way and is starting to crawl. He is about one more day away from asking for the car keys. Seriously, that's how fast I feel like time is flying by! I am still ok with it though because the more active he gets the more fun he becomes.

He has been working on his solids for a couple months but this past month he really amped it up. I realized quickly that all those baby food purees were not going to be his thing and he would prefer to eat whatever is on mine or Papi's plates. We're totally ok with that! His favorites are avocados, frijoles, applesauce, and huevos. And don't forget any and all types of puffs. We're still working on his sippy cup skills and thankfully he hasn't used any of his ninja skills when it comes to his sippy cup. Although I am sure a sippy cup flying across the dining room is in our near future.

This past month he had his first trip to the ER and it was scary. While Fabian was just getting over the flu and I had some type of viral sinus thing going on, Jax was congested and started to wheeze and develop a croup-y cough. Note to all those parents out there, be sure you know where your closest urgent care center is because when we got in the car at midnight neither of us knew where we were going. And in panic mode it's really hard to figure it out. Thankfully we walked right in and they gave Jax some incredible care. Within about 5 days he was back to his loud and active self.

I know these next few months he is going to change and become this little toddler and as much as we will miss the baby stage, I think we're ready to have a toddler crawling around our feet. At least my back and arms are ready for him to start moving more on his own. He is currently 23lbs and very squirmy.

Caring for Jax has been one of our greatest joys. I am reminded daily that the life we are building now is our legacy for him. Each moment of training and each day full of hard work is for the generation that is coming up behind us. No pressure, but that for sure makes us want to be better parents.

-Fabian & Bee and of course Jax

Six month old baby Jax

Halfway to a year old? We cannot believe that six months ago Jax was born? These past 6 months have been filled with a lot of change for our family but having Jax along for the ride has been the best. Now that he is getting older his personality is definitely coming out and it's hilarious. He responds to Nacho Libre quotes and finds the simplest things giggle worthy. He will also rotate himself 360 degrees in 2 seconds flat. This boy is fast and very curious about everything.  

This past month Jax has begun to recognize the family in his life and has started reaching out to Mama and Papi and even friends at church that reach their hands out to him. Along with recognizing faces he has also developed a little stranger anxiety and will do a quick glance back at Fabian or myself to reassure him that he is ok. He has been hearing and responding to more Spanish lately. We have been doing our best to give him a good balance of both languages. He also knows the signs for 'leche', 'eat', and 'all done'. We're working on adding 'diaper change' and 'more' into the mix this next month. 

 

He has tried carrots, sweet potatoes, and a strawberry/apple mixture. He really could care less about them. He just wants the leche. Also, right before he turned 5 months I decided to stop breastfeeding. It was hard and I had a couple moments of tears but my body wasn't producing any more milk. For me it was perfect timing because he wasn't super attached to me and weaning him off was easy to do. Also, I think it was really stressing me out and that stress along with dieting had a big affect on my milk.  

He is rolling over both ways but still prefers to be on his belly most of the time. He rolls over so quickly and if he rolls from belly to back he scares himself a little bit. Another thing that we have been dealing with was little night terrors. He has had three moments during the night where he will wake up crying shortly after I put him down to sleep. You know as parents you can start to tell the difference with your children's cries? Well this one is different. It tears our hearts apart. He will scream and cry for about 10 minutes and then settle back down and sleep through the night.

 

We've been doing a little experimenting because we weren't too sure if they were actually night terrors or possible acid reflux or some trapped gas? A friend suggested burping him a little longer before laying him down at night to make sure that all the gas was out. It seems to be helping and so far we haven't had any other issues with it. We also went to war in his bedroom and our house. We prayed against anything that may be trying to sneak it's way into our home. That's our greatest weapon. 

We are so excited for Christmas and to share this time with our family and friends. Jax is at such a perfect age right now to be out and about during the Holidays. We may not be able to stay up until midnight on Christmas Eve but we'll get as close as we can. 

 

-F & B

Five Month Old Baby Jax

Rolling, rolling, rolling, Jax just keeps on rolling! Our 5 month old Jax has been keeping us on our game lately. He is super active! As he continues to learn how to roll, we continue to move our furniture out of his way. He can rotate 360 and roll from both back to belly and belly to back. He has been working his way into solids and has tried carrots however, he could really care less. He just wants the leche. We have started using sign language with him and he has learned his sign for "milk." His little reaction and smiles are so cute when we ask him, "quieres leche?" He will grab our hand like it's the bottle and start looking for the milk.

 

He is working through his 6-9 month clothes and has started to fit into some of his shoes. He is still very much like his mama and loves being barefoot. Feet are tastier when they are barefoot anyways right? He is going through a bit of a sleep regression right now but we're working through it. He has so many wiggles that he wiggles himself awake before it's time to get up. Thankfully this has only affected his naps, he still sleeps for 10 hours at night like a champ!

He has started to babble and it's so fun to watch him try and put words together and figure out how his tongue works. I can't wait until he learns how to blow raspberries. He is transitioning out of Papi and Mama's room into his very own room this week. Poor boy has been sleeping in the hallway in our bedroom since he was born.

 

Jax just keeps getting cuter and more fun as he grows. Nothing more to report for this little update, so we'll leave you with some nicknames that Jax has acquired over the past 5 months.

"Curly fry"

"Squishy" (he is always extra squishy after sleeping)

"Sweet potato"

"Jax-son Tennessee."

"Jaxi Boo"

- F & B

We have a four month old!

Thinking about parenthood sometimes all you can do is go one day at a time. Well one day at a time has gotten us to 129 days! That's right, I can't even believe that Jax is four months old! He weighs 17.5lbs and is 26.75 inches long (we will just say 27 though). I think he is going to be tall like his Papi and Tio Nate! He is stretching his way out of his 3-6 month clothes and into his 6-9 month fall outfits!

This past month of development has been exciting to watch. As his eyes follow us around the room he is becoming so much more observant of his surroundings. He loves to talk, laugh, and sing along to Papi playing the guitar. Of course if you smile at him he will smile right back! We've found some tickle spots and have also realized that if you quote Nacho Libre to him he will crack up. This was our go to movie while I was pregnant and let's face it, it's still our go to movie. This month his personality has been coming out and we're seeing different sides to his temperament. He is social like his Papi but when surround by a lot of people he tends to just observe like his Mama. He is such a great mix of both Fabian and I.

We took Jax on his first little road trip last month to Waco. It's only an hour and a half drive but that's the longest stretch he has gone in his car seat. He did great! Our little trip was so encouraging because we know there are more road trips in the future for this family.

As Jax rolls into this next month there is a lot in store for him including, transitioning into his own room! We're excited to be entering into Fall and the holidays. It's going to be so cool to now share our traditions with our son. We will continue to show him the importance of faith, family, and Nacho Libre.

-F & B

Our 3 Month Old Baby



The developmental leaps that our Jax has made in the past month makes me feel like time is going by too fast. Y'all we have a 3 month old! He has been changing into this perfect mix of Fabian and I. There are moments when he looks so much like his dad, an expressive face with slicked back hair. Then there are times when he looks just like my twin, with his quick moving eyebrows and round little cheeks.  

He is developing his personality and it's so evident that we are going to have our hands full as he gets bigger. This boy is active! He will sit and sing along with us and is so gracious when we forget the words to songs. We've been working our way through, Jesus loves me and I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy. I even learned to sing them in Spanish for him. I love hearing his little coos. He responds to voices and smiles with the cutest toothless drooly grin. He is trying to figure out how to suck his thumb but hasn't quite gotten the hang of it. His hair continues to be one of his greatest features. And he is giving us more belly giggles too which are seriously the best!

He surprised us last week by showing us he can roll over! He is not super consistent with it yet but give the boy something to push off of and watch him flip! Since he was already sleeping through the night I wanted to tweak his bedtime just a little bit to allow more solid nighttime sleep. He gets up at 6 with me in the morning before I head to work. I once again kept paying attention to his queues and was able to adjust it by an hour after slowly moving it up for two weeks. He naturally fell into his new little pattern and gives us a longer stretch of nighttime sleep. Seriously, this child is such a reflection of his parents. Sleep at our house is a must!

This past month it has become easier to bring him out and about for longer periods of time. Outdoor walks, weekend errands, and time with family have been such a joy to share with our osito. He is getting too big too fast and we love every second of it.

Is it too early for him to say, "mama" yet?

-Bee



Two Months!

As each month of our son's life passes we learn more and more about him and about each other. Jax is now successfully sleeping 7.5 hours through the night! We have been doing some sleep training with him and it's totally paying off. He wakes up so much happier and also has longer stretches of play between each nap. He is a night owl like his parents and likes to party with us until 11 or so before knocking out for the night.

This month was full of family! Jax was able to party until midnight and celebrate his tía Jenni's quinceanera while meeting members of his extended family that came into town for the party. This boy has no idea how loved he is by all his family members. 

Jax loves to stare at the ceiling fan and chilling on his changing table while dad sings to him in Spanish. Our osito has become more vocal and has a cute little sing song voice. He is smiling more and responding to our voices. He's also figured out that he has hands! It's the cutest thing watching him stare at his hands and try and figure out how his fingers work. He has started grabbing onto some of his toys on his playmat. He's almost fully transitioned into 3-6 mth clothes and will leave some 0-3 mth unworn outfits behind. 

Seeing him grow up right before our very eyes is the best! I think every month we watch him grow we become even stronger as husband and wife. Jax, you are making us the best parents that we can be for you! 

-F & B