Five Months

Five months old! I really can't believe it. And next month he is half way to one?!?! I wish time would slow down!

Some milestones...

• He had not refused a bottle, until just recently. I go back to work on January 2nd, so baby boy needs to take a bottle. We had to start from scratch and it was SO hard on me. I hated to hear him crying because he wanted me. It broke my heart :( But we kept trying and switched to the Playtex latex nipples because they are softer, and he finally took a bottle from my sister and then from Nick. It seems best if he doesn't see or hear me for a while before the bottle. I work so close to his daycare, so I am going to breastfeed him on my lunch, at least the first few weeks.
• His first airplane flight went so well! He slept almost the entire time on both flights. Yay :)
• He started blowing bubbles recently. It cracks me up. Sometimes he does it into the air and other times onto my arm. 

 

• My favorite thing ever: he grabs my face with both hands and gives me giant slobbery kisses all over my face. I love it! I kiss him right back and enjoy those priceless moments so much.
• He sits up on his own, but he isn't 100% stable yet. If he looks up too high, he will fall backwards. But we keep practicing. He still likes to sit in the Bumbo too.

 

• We started solids. Rice cereal was first and he really liked it. He seems to swallow a good amount of it too. He even wants to hold the spoon and feed himself. So grown up already. I tried sweet potatoes and he loved them, but he ended up spitting up a lot the rest of that day and everything was orange. From what we read, orange foods (sweet potatoes, carrots, etc) are not good for babies who still spit up a lot or have reflux. I am going to try a fruit this week and see how it goes. I can't wait until next month when I can start giving him finger foods.

• The spitting up is dramatically reducing. Hallelujah! 
• He doesn't want his pacifier anymore, which I am happy about. I do use it when he is really fighting a nap and won't take the boob.
• He has started reaching for me when he wants his Momma and can see me. However, he is doing really well being held by other people too. We were around a bunch of family for the holidays and he did great with everyone. Here he is playing the piano with his Great Grammie:

Other tidbits about being 5 months old...

• His first Christmas was so much fun. We went to Nana and Poppa's house first thing in the morning and opened his stocking and some gifts, and then spent the afternoon with my in-laws.

 

• He still loves the Ergo and I still love wearing him.
• The biggest thing has been his fascination with his hands. He stares at them and goes cross-eyed, and he grabs EVERYTHING now! And everything he grabs goes straight into his mouth. He wants whatever I am holding and anything within reach. The first time he reached for my cup of lemonade I wasn't prepared and we both ended up with it all over us, ha! Now I know to hold on tight :)

 

• He loves water bottles. Any time I am holding one, he wants it. It keeps him entertained for a long time.
• He prefers to be on his tummy if I put him on a blanket or his play mat. He sleeps on his back, but any other time he rolls right to his tummy.
• He loves to be on Daddy's shoulders. He smiles the entire time.

 

• He is scooting a lot now. He can move himself pretty far on his own. He seems determined to crawl as soon as his body cooperates with his brain ;)
• He still sleeps pretty well at night. Some nights he would rather blow bubbles when I lay him down, but eventually he falls asleep. He can really fight his naps, but he does eventually settle down and sleeps anywhere from 30 min up to 3 hours!
• His hair is still getting thicker, especially on top. It seems to be getting a bit darker, but still has lots of red in it.

• His eyes are still a dark blueish with some green toward the center.
• He is wearing 6-9 month clothes. All of our 6 month Carters stuff is getting snug.
• He is wearing size 2 diapers.
• No idea how much he weighs because we don't go back to the doctor until his 6 month check-up.

Sweet G, I love you kiddo. I hate that I have to leave you to go back to work, but I am doing it so we can move into a nice big house and give you everything and take you everywhere. We love you so, so much.

xoxo,
Megan

18!

That is the number of offers we received on our house. YAY! We had four top offers, all the same price, who agreed to all of our terms. We just picked a buyer today so hopefully we will be out of this house mid-January. We are so happy and so ready to move. Here's hoping for an easy inspection and painless move, and then finding our new home in a jiffy.

I haven't been blogging much lately because I am soaking up every minute with Grayson before I go back to work on January 2nd. We went to Cancun, Mexico last week with my in-laws and had a wonderful time.

We sat by the pool and went to the gorgeous beach...

We visited Xcaret, an ecological park...

 G hiked around the Chichen Izta ruins on Daddy's back in our new Osprey Poco pack...

 And we relaxed at the hotel...

Best of all, this is what Grayson did on both of the flights there and back...

On Friday evening we heard the news of the Newton shooting. I was crying while watching the TV. I can't even imagine. Those poor innocent children and the school staff. My heart is broken for them all and I can't stop thinking about them. I wish this kind of thing did not exist in our world, but sadly it does. My thoughts are with all of their loved ones.

Four Months

Notice the Great Dane on his onesie? We still haven't found any with a Mastiff, but he has this one and one with Saint Bernards on it. He's showing his love for the giant breeds :)

Time is flying by so fast. I only have one more month at home with him before I go back to work :( I am so incredibly sad and I can tell this is going to be a VERY difficult transition for me. I always planned to be a working Mom, but I didn't expect it to be this hard on me. I don't want to miss a moment with him. I can't even think about it without crying. On a brighter note, Nick took off work at the end of December so we will have 11 days straight together. Disneyland, the zoo, the aquarium, the holidays - here we come!!!

Some highlights on being 4 months old...

• He is going on his first flight in December for our trip to Cancun, Mexico. It's about 5 hours non-stop. I hope it goes as smoothly as possible. I have been having nightmares about flying with him. All that I hope is that he doesn't scream the entire flight ;)  

• He is laughing now!!!! He has been doing a giggle/shriek thing for quite a while, but this is a real belly laugh. This is definitely my favorite milestone, thus far.
• We bought a Baby Bjorn and he seems to enjoy it. I also use the Ergo still. The Ergo is WAY more comfortable for me. Ergo needs to make a front-facing carrier.

• He loves to talk and has so much to say :) I love listening and watching him babble in the mornings in his crib from our video monitor.
• He prefers to be sitting up. He sits in his stroller without the car seat and he stands in his jumperoo. If you try to put him in the Boppy, he struggles to sit upright. He props himself up onto his elbows and tries to sit up on his own anywhere he is. He must be getting an amazing ab workout :)

• He sleeps in his crib every night, so when he wakes up and I go in to see him, he hears me say his name, goes silent, turns his head my direction and gives me a giant smile. Absolutely melts my heart! I love that I, or Daddy, can bring that comfort and joy to him.

• We are doing Mommy and Me swim lessons. We are having so much fun. I LOVE the water and he seems to also. Plus it gives me peace of mind to know that he will soon know how to save himself from drowning by flipping onto his back in the water. It's crazy how fast they learn to do it!

• He loves Apollo and the kitties. He watches them whenever they are nearby. Apollo is beginning to notice him more and more, and has been very sweet to him. He wants to lick his face and always be near him. The other day, he joined in our photo to be close to Grayson. So sweet! Those two are going to be best buddies, I can tell.

•  He puts everything in his mouth! He especially loves his fingers, sometimes four at a time. He enjoys holding and reaching for everything, especially whatever I am holding. His favorite toys right now are his Taggies puppy and his Winkel. He does use a pacifier sometimes, but I try to only use it as a last resort.

• He can roll from his belly to his back now! Nana saw it first while she was babysitting him on November 4th. He has also been rolling from his back to his belly for a while now. Now that he is rolling all over the place, I had to start un-swaddling his arms at night. Otherwise, he would roll onto his tummy and get stuck face down. At his four month check-up, he kept rolling over on the exam table while the doctor was checking him out. We were all laughing so hard. This is the first video I got of him rolling. He is much faster now ;) 

• He is a very happy baby, always smiling at everyone, and talking to them.

 

• His hair is growing back in and getting thicker. It's really light reddish brown.
• His eyes are a dark blueish green.
• He weighed 14lbs 14oz and measured 24 1/2 inches at his appointment on Monday.
• He is wearing 6 month clothes.
• He is wearing size 2 diapers.

• His nighttime sleep patterns vary. The other night he went to bed at 9pm and woke up at 12:30, 3, and 5, and he was hungry every time. I was exhausted! Then last night he went to bed at 9pm and didn't wake up until 5am, then back to sleep again until 9:30am. I am sure it will continue to change as time goes on and he goes through growth spurts, starts teething, etc. His naps are pretty consistent - one in the morning around 10am, one around 5pm and a few cat naps throughout the day. 

• I am pumping again, to build up a stash for daycare. I hadn't been pumping at all the past few months because frankly, I hate it. But then I tried to pump mid-day a few weeks ago to get a bottle for Nana while we were out and I absolutely freaked out at how little I got. I know what you pump is not a representation of your supply, because he gets plenty, but I started stressing out about being able to get enough milk to sustain the 3 or 4 bottles he will need at daycare. I feel better now because I am pumping first thing in the morning and getting 3 - 5 ounces at a time and it seems to be boosting my supply, which is fine by me. I would much rather have too much than not enough!

• Speaking of daycare, we found our place! Most places were full and none were giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling. This place is in the perfect location and I loved the staff. We are doing a few one hour visits in December before he starts full time in January. Dropping him off that first day is going to be the hardest thing I have ever done. 

•  Our pediatrician suggested starting solids between 4 and 6 months. We are likely going to wait until we get back from vacation in mid-December. I am pretty excited about it. I always enjoy doing new things with him. I would also like to try baby-led weaning once he is 6 months old. I am planning to continue breast feeding until at least 12 months old.

I am still overwhelmed with the love I have for him. I thought perhaps these feelings would subside some after time passed, but nope. It's still there, a love more powerful than I ever imagined. Nick and I absolutely adore him and can't imagine what it would be like without him. We love you forever and ever and ever, baby boy.

xoxo,

Megan

We are moving!!!!!

YAY!!! We are so ready for this. We are in this current house because it used to belong to my in-laws. When they first bought it back in the late 70's, it was a good neighborhood. A lot has changed since then and we are right on the border of a higher crime area, at least for our county. Culturally we don't fit here either. We have been here for six years now and we put a lot of money and labor into this home - new bathrooms, new kitchen, new flooring, new paint and baseboards, new windows and doors, new exterior paint and all new landscaping - literally everything! We will be closer to both of our jobs, Grayson's daycare, and both of our parents, and the areas we are looking are very nice and family friendly.

Our house will be listed in two weeks. It's a weird time of year, but we are expecting our house to sell pretty quickly. The problem will be finding the next house as quickly as possible. My parents have offered to let us stay with them in the interim. I can't thank them enough. Hopefully we won't be there too long!

xoxo,
Megan

November 18th, I'll never forget you

This day, one year ago, I took a pregnancy test that changed my life forever. It wasn't until November 21st that I announced on my blog. I cannot believe it's been a year already and I cannot believe how much has changed since then.

I made it through the first trimester, I started feeling my sweet boy moving, my belly grew, I delivered our son and now he is nearly four months old. I couldn't have imagined this is where I would be, back on 11/18/11. It's so crazy how emotional being a parent is, or maybe it's just me ;) I look back and miss my pregnancy and I look to the future and I can already imagine missing this little baby that won't stay this little forever. No one is kidding when they say having a baby changes your life forever. It truly does. I can't help but look at my Mom and realize that she was once like me, holding a baby me, and now here I am almost 30 years later. Life moves so fast, and I remind myself daily to slow down and enjoy each and every moment.

xoxo,

Megan

The best sound in the world

My sweet baby laughing :) We've been trying to catch this on video and we finally got it. 

xoxo,

Megan

Happy Halloween!

My sweet pumpkins :)

Grayson had two costumes: he was a sushi roll {Mom's pick} and a giraffe {Nana's pick}.

Happy Halloween everyone!
xoxo,
Megan

Three Months

Three months old?!?! Are you kidding me?! Crazy.

He loves:

• His Momma :) He is definitely attached to me, but that's to be expected when I spend every single day with him and we are exclusively breast feeding.

• But he also adores his Dad! The way he watches him is so sweet. I can tell he is really going to look up to him and learn from him. 

• He thinks it's funny when Apollo runs around the backyard with his toys. He also watches the cats when they are close by, usually rubbing on his feet. I'm sure he will love animals as much as Nick and I do.
• He loves when I sing to him, and I love to sing along to the radio. I am certain he is the only one who loves my voice, so it makes me feel like a million bucks :)

• Staring at himself in the mirror. He gets the biggest grin on his face and talks up a storm.
• He loves bath time! He splashes more and more each time.
• He likes to face outward when we carry him. He loves to see what's going on around him. I want to buy a front facing carrier, I just need to try some on.
• The ceiling fans. Loves to watch those blades spin around. He even talks to them on occasion.
• Sitting up. He prefers to sit on our lap or in his Bumbo, and when he is done with laying down, he props himself up on his elbows and tries to sit up on his own. Such a big boy already :) 
• He loves to "talk" and we love it. The other day, I carried him into the bank with me and he was smiling and talking to the teller. That was a first. He talks all day long, but especially in the mornings. Nick and I sit and converse with him on his changing pad every morning and it's absolutely my favorite time of day. Right now he says "owww", "gooo", and "ahhh", and several other sounds. 

Other tidbits about being three months old:

• He still spits up. I am avoiding dairy products to see if it helps. I still don't think it's reflux because most of the time he isn't fussy before or after. It does seem to be getting better.
• He is reaching for and holding his toys now! He also puts them into his mouth.

• He rolls onto his side on his playmat and is a pro at tummy time.
• His "crying for no reason" stage is gone. He will yell now, which gives me time to fix the problem before he has a total meltdown. If he is crying, he either wants to sit on our lap or be held, has an upset tummy or more rarely - because I stay on top of it before he cries - he is hungry.
• He is a very happy baby, always smiling at everyone, and even giggling now too.

• He still goes everywhere with us and seems to enjoy being on the go. I can breastfeed practically anywhere now and that feels great. I like that freedom and I finally have 100% confidence with BFing in public. I do use a cover, but I still felt awkward in the beginning. Not anymore :)
• He is wearing 3 month, 3-6 month and some 6 month clothes.
• He is wearing size 1 diapers, but is almost ready for size 2. I have some "night time, extra protection" diapers for sleeping and they are size 2.
• He still sleeps through the night (8 to 9 hours). We are so, so thankful for that. We also moved him from the Pack 'n Play beside our bed to his crib yesterday. He slept great in his crib. Dad on the other hand did not - he was worried about him. So sweet.
• The bummer milestone: he just got his first cold yesterday. Thankfully he is still in a good mood and doesn't have a temperature. We talked to the nurse today and she gave me lots of good information. Hopefully it clears up soon.

The love we have for this little guy still overwhelms me. I'm soaking up every minute of him. I look forward to all of the adventures to come :)

xoxo,
Megan

Fuss Fuss

That is Grayson's nickname lately, sigh. He is still feeding and sleeping great. He sleeps nine hours some nights. But when he is awake during the day, it's another story. It seems that he is colicky. I cut way down on my dairy, but he is still more fussy than usual and spitting up even more than before. I'm not kidding when I say that he spits up 10 or more times every day. Sometimes he is peaceful, sometimes he spits up right after eating and sometimes he cries and fusses and then spits up and it seems to give him relief. Sometimes it's almost clear liquid and other times it's very chunky and white. Beginning today, I am cutting out dairy 100% and giving it 7-10 days to see if there is any improvement. Otherwise we are off to the pediatrician.  It's really hard on me because I am so worried that it's something I am eating. I am making a huge effort to eat very healthy, whole foods;  just meats, veggies, fruits, nuts and lots of water. If it's not my diet, perhaps he has some reflux. If anyone has any advice or experience to share, please do!

10 weeks ago today

I was sitting in L&D, when they told me I needed an emergency c-section. Look how bloated (and terrified) I was!

Literally an hour later, baby Grayson was born.

I was so happy to see him that first time, despite the shakes and the nausea.

The next day, holding my son.

Our first family photo.

I haven't shared any of these photos before. I was a hot mess, but I am so happy to have these memories captured forever. Is it crazy that I am already excited for baby #2?!

xoxo,

Megan