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Wednesday, January 16, 2008

4th trimester no more!

Well, time has truly flown by and today marks the official 3 month mark for Joseph. All I can say is, wow, what a difference three months has made! Soon after I gave birth to Joseph, I heard the term "4th trimester" used to describe those first three months of transition -- both for baby and parents. Understandably, babies in their first few months of life need a little bit of time to adjust to all of the stimulating sights, sounds and smells that the outside world has to offer. After all, the majority of their life has been spent in a very cozy, warm and dark place until they are abruptly introduced into their new bright, loud and chilly environment (especially in our case!). Can you blame them for needing a little time?!?

I can share that, although Joseph has so far exhibited an overall pleasant temperament, I can truly see how he is now embracing his outside world wholeheartedly. With each day we can see even the smallest of changes in him that, to anyone else, might seem a bit boring. Okay, I admit that suddenly beginning to produce enough drool to fill Lake Michigan isn't exactly an earth-shattering accomplishment, but it's a big change nonetheless! So, bear with me as I share some of the ways that we've observed our little Joseph grow over the past couple of months:

  • Physical - As we all know, Joseph was already off to a pretty good start in this department. At his 2 month appointment, he measured 25 and 3/8 inches in height, 14 lbs 6 oz in weight and 42.1 cm in head circumference. Now what does that actually mean, you ask? Bottom line . . . little Joe is a very big boy, ranking in the 98th, 95th and 92nd percentile respectively! As daddy says, straight A's across the board!! Perhaps we should get some sort of bumper sticker to commemorate the achievement . . . hmmm, maybe something along the lines of "Big-boned, Big-brained and Lovin' Life" or "Baby Goliath on board"!?! Here is a picture from the holidays capturing him in all his glory:

    Now, let's keep in mind that the average American gains 7 - 10 lbs during the holiday season, so I think we can cut Joe some slack!
  • Motor Skills - Since Joseph didn't really have many of these coming out of the gate, he really only had one direction to go from there. Thankfully, we have seen very steady improvements in this area . . . marked primarily by his ability to grasp onto toys and persistent attempts to put them in his mouth (we're still working on that one!). He's also recently started reaching for toys which I've captured on a lazy afternoon basking in the oh-so-rare winter sunlight.


  • I would also like to note that he has developed quite the knack for foot-activated devices, exhibited primarily through the karate kicks that he likes to give to his bouncy seat. Once he figured out that the little hidden foot pedal made his animal band light up and play, he kicks with such purpose and fervor that I'm sure he'll either be a fantastic soccer player or winning the lead role in "The Karate Kid: The Next Generation". I noticed that he even kicks a lot more when mommy or daddy are holding him. Perhaps he's hoping that we too will begin to light up and play nice music! You've gotta love all of the baby gadgets available nowadays.
  • Social/Emotional - This can be best summed up in this picture.Although we began to see the first true smiles at around 1 month old, he is now constantly lighting up the Hunter household with smiles, coos, giggles and I even got him to reach such hysterical levels recently that he had his first hearty belly laugh. Perhaps I should take my act on the road! The best part of his smiles are the recognition that comes along with it. Okay, sure, now he'll pretty much smile at anyone who talks to him a pleasant tone or flashes him their pearly whites. However, nothing beats the smile that I receive when I first peak into his crib in the morning without even saying a word. He goes from an "I'm starving!" type of cry, to intent staring and then slowly breaks out in the biggest grin. It's priceless!
  • Sleep Patterns - Okay, I realize that this isn't one of the major developmental areas, but Joseph's advancements in terms of his sleep schedule have been simply huge and definitely deserve an honorable mention. During the holiday season, Joey began what we first believed to be an isolated Christmas miracle, but thankfully became what is now a pretty well-established pattern . . . at least for now! He has started to consistently sleep through the night and, when I say "sleep through the night", I don't mean the mere 5 hour stretches that all of the developmental guides talk about. No, I'm talking about approximately 10-12 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night! Although we are still working on an established daytime nap routine, we are truly thankful for this accomplishment and hope that this is only the beginning of many restful nights in our little boy's future!
  • That's all I have for now! I hope you enjoyed reading about the progress that Joseph made during his "4th trimester" of life. At least I know our fellow parent friends can probably relate to the feeling of pride that washes over you the first time your little one discovers his or her hands!

    Tuesday, January 15, 2008

    Remembering Grandpa Martinie


    Melvin Jay Martinie
    (May 8,1926 - December 30, 2007)

    For those of you who may not have heard, Brad's grandfather passed away right after the holidays. Grandpa held a very special place in our hearts and we were grateful that he was able to celebrate Christmas with us and hold Joseph for the first time. It was a moment that we will always cherish and I wanted to share with you the words that Brad spoke in tribute to grandpa at his funeral:

    Hello I’m Brad Hunter, Mel’s grandson. I feel that grandpa’s faith guided much of what he did in life so I want to talk about two ways that faith was evident to me and the people around him.

    First, my grandfather, as many of you who were privileged enough to know, was a passionate and convicted man. He was committed to being a positive force in others lives by being joyful, optimistic, and most of all humorous. Those convictions would also shine through when my grandfather would get onto topics that the best I can describe as “the way things oughta be”. He openly shared his viewpoints passionately describing his thoughts on what could be changed in our world. Well, a topic that has been taught in the church I attend lately has caused me to look differently at the way my grandfather discussed world events. The idea that’s been frequently touched on in our church is that God instructs us to look at the world as an inherently good place, that people are inherently good, that all things work themselves out in the end for good. But the world tries to tell us, through the nightly news and most of things on TV, that everything is bad, our world is full of pain, true love is not attainable, etc. I think what Mel was trying to say is THAT is what is wrong with our world! Not that there are problems, or not that bad things happen; but that our world and our lives are to be enjoyed, that our relationships with others are a gift, and that we’re all here for a reason.

    Second, my grandfather gave us all enough forewarning about his health and what would eventually be. And interestingly enough, I feel today like that was intentional on the part of my grandfather. He certainly held onto life much longer than many of us thought, a testament to his courage, faith and perseverance. I think a bit of that was by design. He had a way about him that took into account the feelings of others and how they would react to a situation, and I think his passing is no different. He prepared us for it—if there is a good way to leave this world—the best way WE would be able to cope with it. He made sure we were okay with his passing. And today, I honestly feel that example should be used to feel the same about all of our loved ones…that we be in the right place with all those around us.

    Finally I would like to read from 1 Chronicles where God is telling King David that his son will be chosen to build the temple. These verses are often quoted when speaking about the responsibility we all have in fulfilling God’s wishes for our lives, even though sometimes we are discouraged because they seem unattainable and out of reach. Let us remember my grandfather as someone who carried those out in many aspects of his life:


    "1 David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem: 2 King David rose to his feet and said: "Listen to me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. 3 But God said to me, 'You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.' 4 "Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father's sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. 5 Of all my sons—and the LORD has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. 6 He said to me: 'Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father. 7 I will establish his kingdom forever if he is unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws, as is being done at this time.' 8 "So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the LORD, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. 9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 10 Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."