the bar and Be

Finally, the days we have been focused on for months have come and gone! Eric finished the bar exam yesterday!!! I can't comment on how he thinks he did or how I think he did because he is avoiding talking about it too much for fear of causing bad luck, bad juju, or any other kind of bad exam karma or jinxing. Suffice it to say, however, that I am thrilled (for him, for me, and for Jed) that he's "resurfaced" and can take time to enjoy Jed and enjoy his accomplishments!

In other news, Jed visited his great-grandma, Be, on Tuesday. Thanks very much to Marlene for helping me make the visit happen and for capturing the afternoon on camera!


And also this week, Jed learned the art of ranting about his state's government. I know both his namesakes would be very proud of his rapid intellectual development and his interest in the newspaper.

What's this?

The state sent some nurse to South Africa on the taxpayer's dime? I'm OUTRAGED!

Where's my pen? I need to write a letter to the editor!

Wow! I can enjoy the newspaper just as much when it's folded upside down!

2 months!

On Thursday, Jed had his 2-month check-up and weighed in at 10 lbs, 8 oz. As the old folks say, he'll be driving before we know it!

This check-up also involved getting a shot. Initially, when the needle went in, Jed didn't respond at all. Then he got a crazed, shocked look in his eyes and all of a sudden, all his skin (face, arms, legs) turned purple-red and he screwed up his face as tight as possible but no sound came out. It took a solid 3-4 seconds before he let out an an ear-piercing scream! I scooped him off the table and pointed out that I was saving him from the mean nurse and that I had not inflicted such pain on him. Poor little guy.

In other news, Eric gave me a beautiful necklace in honor of soldiering through law school, pregnancy, and Jed's first two months. I was really surprised, and I'm overjoyed to have a symbol of our completion of this not-so-easy, but very rewarding phase in our lives.

And speaking of Eric, he will finally take the bar on Tuesday and Wednesday! He has been studying almost non-stop, so he'll do great on it, but all three of us are looking forward to this test being out of the way so we can actually form a little family. Between bedrest before Jed's birth and Eric's studies after Jed was born, we feel like we really haven't spent much "normal" time together, especially since Jed's arrival.

And finally, some pictures. Jed is resting on a quilt that Gary, my co-worker and fellow carpooler, made for Jed and delivered to us today! Thanks, Gary!

Go Deacs!

Amazingly, Jed was out of the womb 7 whole weeks before he got any Wake Forest apparel!* The poor guy had to suffer through the beginning of his life with only UNC attire (albeit an adorable UNC outfit courtesy of Rhonda and Joe Bob) until Shannon and Will helped get him on the right path with some Deacon duds. Now he just needs some Guilford gear!

*Correction: Well before he was born, Caroline and Henry gave him a Wake Forest bib for which he'll soon be big enough!

The raised fist will be accompanied by "Go Deacs!" before we know it!
"I see the light. And it's black and gold. Oh no, wait. I think that's the Quaker light."

some new pictures at 7 weeks

Jed and Daddy . . .

Can Grandma Marlene get a sleeping baby to burp?

At 7 weeks, we think Jed is ready to move out of his crib.

globetrotter . . . ok, just state-trotter

Jed recently returned from his first road trip! I took him up to Germanton to visit his grandparents and get acquainted with the great state of Stokes (meaning Stokes County). The highlight of his trip was causing a big post-church traffic jam in the street between my parents' house and Germanton Baptist as many members of Jed's extended GBC family stopped in the street or in our driveway to meet him! He also enjoyed a visit to Caroline's parents' house where he crashed the tail end of a wedding shower.

On Monday, he visited the Lattimores (Mr. Lattimore is the minister who married Eric and me), and on Tuesday, he met LeAnn and slept through lunch in Winston-Salem. I thought he'd sleep until we got back to Chapel Hill, but we had to make a meal stop in Gibsonville!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a camera, so I couldn't document his fat little feet touching the red clay of Stokes County, but I think he had a good trip.

then and now

Jed crossed the 6-week mark today, and I celebrated by going to the gym for the first time since mid-April! The following pictures offer a little comparison between Jed at 1 or 2 days old and Jed today:

sleeping like a baby

Slowly, the basket fills up . . .

Eric's baby pictures

Ooops! These are of Jed . . . it's hard to tell the difference sometimes.

more, please

Jed celebrated 5 weeks by eating. And eating. And eating some more! Apparently, he's in a growth spurt. I'm guessing he's close to 9 pounds by now!

waking on my due date

Yesterday was Jed's due date so I took him by his doctor's office to check his weight: 8 lbs, 6 oz! While I wish he had waited a bit longer to arrive, I have to say I'm pretty glad I'm not still carrying that load!

Jed started his due-date-day with lots of stretching when his daddy woke him for breakfast. The lighting is a bit dim, but it's pretty entertaining.

Winston studying pound cake

Thanks to our friend Garrett for capturing the true spirit of Winston.