Miller Family Update.....

So it's been awhile since we've posted anything about the goings on with us as a family. (I know, not NEARLY as exciting as the goings on of Jake-Man.... don't worry... I'm sure he'll be mentioned) Anyway, I thought I would bring everyone up to date with the whole Long QT situation. There's not a whole lot to tell. Jake is still going to the cardiologist every 3 months or so. This is mainly to keep his medication dose correct, they have to change it as he gains weight. He is oblivious to his "condition". As soon as this LQTS was brought to our attention we made a decision that we WILL NOT live in fear. "For God does not give us a spirit of fear..." we will live in complete confidence and freedom knowing that God IS in control and he IS healer!! We really consider all of this a blessing. LQTS is often NOT diagnosed until it's too late... yes.. too late meaning you have met your expiration date. We believe this is the Lords hand at work in our family. He is increasing our faith day by day. He is strengthening our dependence on Him. He is causing us to walk closer as a family. Who wouldn't be blessed by that??
I guess I do need to add that I too (Wendy) have been diagnosed with the LQTS. It seems I'm the nice parent that shared this gene with Jake... nice.. I know. Through two stress tests, 4 EKG's, two doctors and now medication, we are seeing over and over again the Lords protection over my life these last 32 years. After seeing my EKG's it's nothing short of a miracle that I made it through 10 years of gymnastics, Karate, week long backpacking trips, marching band, zip lines etc and NOT ONCE had an "episode". I'm glad our God is sooo much bigger than any gene or syndrome. His ways ARE higher!!
Some have been asking how other kids play into this. Yes, we do want to have another baby.... not soon, but eventually. This is something we will just add to the list of prayer requests. This gene is like any other and has a 50/50 chance of being passed on to another child. The good news is that this "condition" doesn't get worse or change from person to person. It is what it is. Of course we pray our other child(ren) won't have to deal with it at all.... please join us even now in praying about that... As far as pregnancy goes, I found out just today that it's not a problem. The concern with beta blockers and pregnancy is low birth weight babies. Well, as we all know with Jake weighing in at 9lbs 1oz, the beta blockers may just give me an "average" weight baby. When I do get pregnant, if it seems that the beta blockers are causing "issues" with the baby there is a "vest" I can wear which is basically an external defibrillator.
All in all, we are doing really well. Jake man is grown like crazy and eats like a boy for sure!! I love being a stay at home Mommy and we couldn't be more blessed by Gerald's job. I can't say enough about the office he works at. They have been more than understanding and supportive through all of this. Not once have they even given a second look at the time he's had to take off to go with me to countless cardiologist appointments etc. I can't put into words what it means as a Mom and Wife to know that my husband is SO LOVED and PRAYED FOR, at his job. The love they have shown our family is a living working example of Christ and His family!! Thank You Coldwell Banker, Lubbock!! I am soooo blessed by you!!!
So there is the update for now... Jake-Man just woke from his morning nap, so off I go!! TEN MONTH update will be coming soon!!!! CRAZY!!!!!

Nine Months!!!

Well, here I sit again AMAZED at the fact that yet ANOTHER month has gone by. Our boy is NINE MONTHS OLD!! He is one busy boy, that's for sure. I'm not sure where to begin...
-He is ON THE MOVE!! Crawling all over the place, exploring new rooms, new flooring, new nooks and crannies. I thought the house was pretty well child-proof until Jake took it upon himself to prove to me otherwise.
-Jake has many toys, but would rather play with the doggie door, television and receiver, Joey's cage, kitchen chairs, drawers, doors and shoes. He keeps me busy, that's for sure.
-He is pulling up and at times you can catch him practically standing on his own. I have a feeling he will be walking sooner than later.
-He is still our SUPER eater. He opens WIDE with every bite. He really hasn't turned much down. Still not a fan of Avocado unless it's mixed with other food. He likes bananas, but they have to be mashed up. Any time I try and give him a bite, he gags and shudders... its kinda cute... the shudder, not the gag.
-He is going to bed between 6:30 and 7:00 after his bath and nightly streaking through the house. The boy loves to be naked, silly boy. He sleeps all night -YAY!!!!- and wakes up between 6:30 and 7:00 (His Mommy was an early riser when she was a baby... so I guess I have myself to thank for Jake's early schedule) I don't mind though, I LOVE my mornings with my boy.
-He takes two naps during the day and is a happy boy as always.
-Oh, and he has started giving kisses... they may be slobbery and wet, but this Mommy doesn't mind. Bring on the drool... which there is A LOT of these days.
-He has two teeth, but I'm pretty sure he's working on more. That boy is a drool machine.
-This summer we started going to Kindermusic at a place here in Lubbock called Joyful Noise Music Studio. Though it was a WORKOUT for Mom, we both had a GREAT time. Jake really enjoyed being around the other kids. Needless to say he wasn't the one to sit nicely in Mommy's lap while doing finger plays and movement.. he moved from friend to friend.

We spent time visiting friends and family in Dallas recently. Jake had several "firsts" while we were there. He started "dancing" to music. (I'll post a short video, but it's not his best moves. I can't seem to catch those on camera), he had cantaloupe, watermelon, and cheerios for the first time. He got to swim in a big pool, and got to meet Dax, his cousin. Or really his second cousin,or maybe he's Jake's 3rd cousin?? Anyway, he's my cousins little boy... whatever that is. (Dax is the other precious boy with the BLUE eyes in the slide show). Jake learned all about his "East Texas folk". He joined in on the conversation with all the men at the table. He also got to "play in the rain" out on Grammie and Grandad's balcony, it didn't phase him ONE BIT.

Jake LOVES to be outside whenever possible. His FAVORITE thing to do at Grammie and Grandad's is stand out on their balcony and watch the cars go by. We've started taking walks every morning (when it's not raining) and he watches every car that passes.
Jake has also started to follow Daddy every where. He LOVES to watch Daddy get ready in the mornings. As soon as he hears Daddy get out of the shower he is off to go visit. It's so precious. I think Daddy likes the time too. Of course, what Daddy DOESN'T like is the fact that Jake is starting to notice when he leaves. This morning was the first morning that Jake fussed when Daddy left. :o( Poor guy, he LOVES his Daddy!!

We haven't had Jake's 9 month appointment yet, so I'm not sure his height and weight. I'll let you know when we find out. I hope you have enjoyed this little update. I KNOW there are things I'm forgetting, but this will have to do for now. I'll add more as I remember. Enjoy the slide show and videos.

** A note from Jake ** In a few of the pictures, it looks like I'm wearing "leggings"... I'M NOT!! Mommy puts them on me so my knees don't get scratched up and itchy in the grass. They're called baby legs... and though, not SUPER fashionable on me, I LIKE 'EM!! They also make it so I can crawl on the cement sidewalk and not get scratched up. Okay, just wanted to pass that info along. Enjoy my cool moves!!







*Update*
So just got back from Jake's 9 month appointment. His doctor said he looks like he's about 14 months old. Yep, that's our TALL and SKINNY boy.
19 3/4 lbs - 40th percentile
29 1/2" tall - 80th percentile
He did have to get a blood draw done :o( DID NOT enjoy that. G went with us, so I was mean and made him hold Jake while they did it. I think Jake could have shattered glass with his screams. HEART BREAKING!!! Glad its done and over with now.
All in All he is our HEALTHY boy!!

The Many Faces of Jake

Just wanted to share with you all of Jake's faces that we get to see everyday. Hope it brings a smile to your face.

TWO teeth.... and a giggle...

So just as soon as tooth #1 broke through, tooth#2 started its journey to the surface. We now have TWO teeth! He has handled the process like a pro. We've been giving him Tylenol, but I think it's more for Mom and Dad's peace of mind than for Jake-Man. His FAVORITE things to teeth on are the food feeder with apples and celery. He's such a cutie!!

These pictures were taken when Jake was laughing at Daddy. The video is a little shakey, but it's worth it to hear Jake's giggle. Enjoy...

Jake is on the cover!!

So Merry Miller's (Jake's Aunt) Classical Baby CD is out and JAKE IS ON THE COVER!! How many Mom's can say that?? They'll be in Mardel Christian Stores and others soon. Go Check it out here....
http://www.babymusictogo.com/music.php

Ahhhhhh....... THAT'S OUR BOY!!!!!!!!!!

WE HAVE A TOOTH!!

So at the ripe old age of 8 months, 1 week, and 1 day old, Jake finally had a tooth break through. You have to look REALLY close, but it's there! Bottom right. These were taken yesterday, so it's through more today. Couldn't get any shots today, but don't worry, I'll keep trying!!...... I know you will be waiting on pins and needles!

So since we have a tooth, we got to try some puffs... Yummy.... and then a video of how he eats. It's hilarious!!

Crawling and Talking and Eating, OH MY!

So our boy is growing faster and FASTER!! He is definitely on the move. He enjoys being mobile. He can crawl, but still mostly prefers the army crawl... it gets him to where he's going faster. He is already pulling up on toys, mom and dad, furniture, pretty much anything stable. I walked in yesterday to find him standing up in his crib. Needless to say we lowered the mattress that night.


He is still sleeping through the night, though waking to grunt around every so often. He now sleeps every which way. His head will be at one end one minute and the other end the next. He's now to the point where he can fall asleep on his back, tummy, side, however he lands. He mostly likes to have his head in the corner of the crib.


He is still between two and three naps. We thought he was ready to drop the 3rd nap, but about a week in he started waking up at night again. Once we re-instated the 3rd nap he went back to sleeping through the night. I think he'll probably drop it for good in the next month or so. I REALLY enjoyed the week w/o it, though it was harder to get dinner done... especially now that he's mobile.


Jake LOVES his food. He ate EVERYTHING at first without any refusals. As we've started introducing fruit, he's decided he doesn't like Avacado. Silly boy! This sneaky Mommy can sneak it in with other veggies though and he'll eat it up. He's had, rice cereal, green beans, green peas, zucchini squash, yellow squash, avocado, carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash, apples and pears. He's become a pro at drinking out of his sippy cup. Just this week he started to tip it up by himself. It's so fun having him eat with us at our meals. He STILL has NO TEETH, so no table food yet. I keep thinking they HAVE to be coming in b/c he'll drool all over everything and EVERYTHING goes in his mouth... including my fingers. (Though from a nursing perspective, I guess I should be thankful that he still has no teeth)


We made our first trip to Dallas this past weekend. It was our first long car ride since Christmas. He did great. It was easier breaking it up on the way there than taking the trip in one fell swoop on the way back. We made a stop in Abilene Fri night and then drove the rest of the way in on Sat. Drove back to Lubbock on Monday. Jake got to see A LOT of family. He did AWESOME!! He slept much better in the pack-n-play than I expected him to. He did well with all the new faces and quickly warmed up. He wasn't sure what to think about the wood floors. I think he missed having carpet to crawl around on. He pretty much stayed stationary on the wood.... hmmm.. maybe we should install wood floors... Just kidding.


I just can't believe that our baby is 8 MONTHS OLD!! It just doesn't seem possible. He is such a FUN boy. I LOVE being a stay at home Mommy. We just bought a pool for the backyard and we enjoy using it almost daily. Jake likes spashing around in it and has even put his face in the water a few times. His favorite thing to do these days is sit out in the front yard under the shade tree (yes, we have some of those in Lubbock) and watch the cars go by. Some enjoy people watching, Jake enjoys car watching. He also likes it when we walk across the street to visit the horses.


I guess that's about all for now. Jake is growing and changing more every day. Each new stage is SO MUCH FUN... though exhausting :o)

There were a few things that Jake wanted in the blog that didn't make it..... so here, I'll just let him tell you what they were.

Did you catch all that?? Important stuff!!

Well, here's the slide show for the month... ENJOY!! He's sooooo stinkin' cute!!

Veggies, Veggies! Yummy, Yummy!

So J man has started eating food. He's taken to the spoon like a champ. I'm so proud of him. He has taken to every new food with no problem. He LOVES his meals in the highchair. If you don't have that food ready when you put him in the chair, you had better be ready for a protest. He grows very impatient waiting for his veggies. He is pretty sure he's going to starve. Of course he still stares longingly at our food, but sorry kiddo... you gotta get some teeth... not to mention we have several other foods to introduce before we can start snacking off of Mommy and Daddy's plates. So far he has had green beans, peas, avocado and of course rice cereal. He likes it all, but LOVES the avocado. I look forward to each new food we introduce. I just hope I can stay on top of making it. This boy just may eat us out of house and home by age 1.

Seven Months!!

I can't believe it's been seven months since sweet Jake entered our lives!! I must say it's been the best, most rewarding, blessed, challenging, entertaining, exhausting, humorous, fantastic, adventurous seven months of my life. Jake makes me laugh every day. His little personality is so laid back. He's got great facial expressions and the sweetest demeanor. He very rarely gets upset about anything. His little laugh is contagious. Oh my, I could go on and on.

Before I go into all that Jake is doing, I want to celebrate what the Lord is doing. Jake had yet ANOTHER NORMAL EKG!! We totally believe Jake is being healed from his Long QT Syndrome. One day we believe we'll receive a word from the Lord to get Jake retested. That's the only way to get him cleared from this "diagnosis". He can have all the normal EKG's, but since this is a genetic disorder, it's not something you "get over". So the doctors won't dismiss him unless we prove to them one day that he does NOT have Long QT Syndrome any longer. Oh the celebration that will take place that day!! So that said, I'll fill you in on all the other fun things that Jake is doing..

So in the last month he has...

• Started sitting up on his own (he did this 2 days after his 6 month birthday).
• Rolling over, back to front and front to back, with much greater ease.
• Switched into a big boy car seat; no more carrier.
• He still enjoys the jumperoo and jump-n-jive, he really goes to town.
• He loves looking at his name banner in his room that hangs above his changing table. Any time you change his diaper you have to let him look at his name before you leave the room. We point to each letter. He's going to be the youngest kiddo to learn to spell his name.
• He reaches for G and I when he wants us to hold him.... I LOVE that.
• He "talks" a lot. He has many sounds in his repertoire. Hi, Bup, Up, Bu, Mmmm, Mmba, Ba... of course notice no where in his repertoire is there a Mama or Dada. We're working on it.
• He is starting to realize that he has control over his body. He sits and watches his hand while he opens and closes it.
• He blows raspberries on anything he can get his mouth on. Mirrors, toys, arms, faces, if he can get his mouth on it, it gets a raspberry.
• He can still squeal with the best of 'em.
• He thinks Joey is pretty funny. If Joey is in the room, Jake is watching him.
• He likes being outside.
• He will grab your face, one hand on each cheek and try to "kiss" your nose. Hahaha
• He is still chewing and drooling on EVERYTHING... but still no teeth!!!
• Lastly... ONE day before his 7 month birthday... he started crawling!!! Well, almost. Let's just say he can get across the room if he wants. He either gets up on all four and lunges forward, or army crawls to his destination. His stationary days are pretty much over.

I LOVE BEING JAKE'S MOMMY... AND GERALD LOVES BEING JAKE'S DADDY!!! This has been so much fun!! Each day is a new journey and a new adventure. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our boy!!

Enjoy the pictures!! The pictures of Jake in the bow tie and conductors wand were taken for the cover of his Aunt Merry's Classical Baby CD. You can find some of Merry's CD's in Mardel. We'll let you know when Classical Baby with Jake on the cover hits the shelves. How fun is that!!

A Little More Progress....

Oh my goodness... I think my mornings of drinking coffee while watching Jake play stationary in the floor are fleeting.