The past week has been so much fun and full of lots of love and laughter. Life is good and God is GREAT!
I probably just had one of the best Christmases ever! Phil and Shannon came down to spend the holidays with us. Thursday we started our good ol family Christmas Eve traditions full of church service, singing Christmas carols (Shannon's tradition), opening 1 present, reading of the Night Before Christmas and the Christmas story. After a great evening with family we headed to bed and waited for Santa to fill our stockings and bring presents to put under the tree.
Christmas morning we awoke to a White Christmas! As we began to open our gifts after a delicious breakfast the snow flakes began to fall from the heavens! The white Christmas I had so dearly hoped for was here! I couldn't believe it and gave thanks to God for all the little miracles that were happening at once. Jr was all smiles and laughs all day long! There really is nothing like a baby's laugh; it doesn't matter who you are when you hear the little giggle your heart melts and you can't help but flash a little smirk. Jr had a wonderful Christmas full of lots of love and presents! Mommy & Daddy gave him his 1st wagon! We put his little bebe seat in it and took him for a ride around the house. Rambo even got to ride with him. It was funny watching Jr and Rambo cruise along while Daddy pulled them along. Jr got some other toys and had quite the expressions on his face while the paper was being torn off the present. I really wish I could have known what he was thinking the whole time we were putting all these toys and pretty paper in front of him. Grandma and Grandpa McBride were able to watch Jr open his presents (via Sypke).
Saturday and Sunday we took it easy around the house and had another great day full of family fun and lots (lots, lots, and lots) of Deal or No Deal on the Wii. Sunday it snowed again so we took Jr out sledding again. He loved sledding and playing in the snow. It was so cute because when we took him out the first time he was lying down and the snow flakes were falling on his face and he couldn't figure out what was falling on his face. The past couple days we've been getting ready for company to come again. I can't believe Grandma and Grandpa McBride will be here tomorrow to celebrate the New Year with us. Phil and Shannon are also flying in tomorrow to celebrate our family Christmas and New Year.
22 week highlights:
-Celebrated his 1st Christmas! Also celebrated his 1st White Christmas!
-Jr had so much fun getting new toys for Christmas. He got a teddy bear, drums, big towering rings, a wagon, a farm set, a Noah's ark book and animals, a box with blocks that are different shapes, and of course some clothes. He got a CD from mom and dad with 10 songs that were meaningful between the three of us.
-He loves to go for rides in his wagon around the house. We set him up in his bebe seat and him and teddy go cruising! If he's ever fussy, we just put him in the wagon and around the house we go. Works like a charm!
-Jr loves to sit and watch Mommy's train go around the tree.
-Jr got to go sledding again! This time with a little more snow and he even got to sit up in the sled. He didn't quite get what was hitting him in the face as the snow fell, but was all smiles the whole time we were outside. He really does love being outdoors and being pulled around!
-Jr can sit up by himself. Each day he sits for longer periods of time by himself. He loves being able to reach for what he wants and definitely prefers sitting up over any position.
-Jr is always rolling to the left on his back. Anytime you put him on his back he rolls to the left almost instantly. It never fails, he never wakes up in the same position as the one we laid him down in before his nap or before he went to bed.
-Everything continues to go into the mouth. Fingers, clothes, bibs, toys, you name it and it's in the mouth. He's even started chomping on the spoon when he eats.
-Jr is all smiles all the time and loves to laugh at everything! He always makes mommy and daddy laugh so much!
-He continues to sleep 11 hrs at night and usually takes a hr nap in the morning and afternoon, followed by a 30 min nap in the evening.
-Jr loves to eat! He eats 8-9 oz of milk along with baby food (3 tbsp) and barely cereal (1.5 tbsp) 3 times a day and anywhere from 13-16 oz right before bed.
-Jr had lost some of his hair on the sides of his head, but it's all starting to grow back in and looks pretty blonde like his daddy's when he was a baby.
-Jr can do a full push up and lift his chest all the way off the ground. It's been so much fun watching him develop and hit all these major milestones. I know I'm going to regret saying this later, but I can't wait to see him crawl!
-He loves to play with the "Alien" toy and can't stop laughing when it falls on his belly.
-Jr is all about blowing bubbles with his mouth.
-We finally have Jr back! The month of November and part of December was kind of rocky, but we finally got back our happy baby back. Jr is back to napping good during the day, and even if he doesn't take a long nap, he's happy and that's all that matters. He's also back to eating and pooping like normal too, which makes him a lot happier too!
-Most of Jr's clothes are 9-12 months. A 12 month old shirt fit him perfect the other day and today he even wore a 18 month old shirt!
-Overall he's rally starting to hit a lot of major milestones and has quite the happy personality.
*Mommy side note: I got a trampoline and train from A for Christmas! We set up the train on Saturday and Jr loves to watch go around the tree! We got the trampoline set up on Monday and of course we had to break it in with some jumps and flips. I'm such a big kid at heart! I also got a photoshop program that I absolutely love. I can't wait to play around with some of the Christmas pics!
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”-Jeremiah 29:11
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
GROWING UP!
LOOK HOW I'VE GROWN!
From 1 week to 23 weeks!
I can sit all by myself!
I can hold my whole chest up!
From 1 week to 23 weeks!
I can sit all by myself!
I can hold my whole chest up!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
21 wk highlights, Turned 5 months, Getting ready for Christmas
21 week highlights:
-Officially turned 5 months old!
-At 5 months he weighed 18 lbs and was 26 in long.
-Jr got to experience his first snow! Daddy pulled him around on a sled and he made his 1st snow angel. He absolutely loved playing in the snow and being pulled on the sled.
-He can move in a full circle when he's on his back. Jr is all over the place in his crib; he usually ends us completely flipped from where we left him (at both nap and bed time).
-Jr can also move in a complete circle on his tummy.
-He can do a complete push up with his arms and loves to look around at everything in this position.
-Jr loves to sit up and can actually balance on his own for awhile. Out of all the positions (tummy, back, sitting, etc.) he definitely prefers to sit and play.
-To say he loves his jumperoo is an understatement; he goes absolutely crazy when you put him in and loves to jump around nonstop.
-Everything continues to go in the mouth and the drool is nonstop.
-He constantly chews on his pointer finger and thumb. We still can't feel any teeth, but we're pretty sure he can feel them.
-We finally said enough with the paci. He doesn't like it at all and does just fine without it, so we decided to toss it.
-Jr is finally back to napping good (usually 50 mins) on his back and wakes up happy. We usually let him squirm around and hang out in his crib a little over an hour and then as long as he's happy we'll go get him. It took about 2 days of letting him cry it out to get him to sleep longer. We also started using some white noise (water, womb and thunderstorm sounds) during his nap time, which seems to be helping him sleep longer too. He takes a nap in the morning and afternoon and a little cat nap in the evening.
-Jr has really started noticing Rambo lately, he even reached out to pet him for the first time. Rambo just wanted to lick him, but Jr did manage to feel his fur before he got a big kiss from Rambo.
-Most all of his feedings come from the bottle now, because we need him to be good on the bottle so when we take our trip he's good for Grandma and Grandpa. Since giving him a bottle, it has sped up our feeding times to about 30 mins.
-Eats 3 tbsp baby food (only vegetables so far) and 1 tbsp barely cereal for breakfast, lunch, and supper. Along with usually 7-8 oz of milk. At supper and his bed time bottle he always takes more (dinner=10 oz and bedtime= 13 oz).
-Continues to sleep 11 hrs at night!
-He helped Mom and Dad celebrate their 3 year wedding anniversary! Annie and Tina babysat him, while Mom and Dad went and had a wonderful dinner. He did great for them and loves to play with Annie.
We've been so busy lately getting ready for Jacob's 1st Christmas and my family coming into town. Last night we went shopping at Toys R Us and got all of his Christmas gifts. We bought him some toys and a Radio Flyer wagon! I can't wait to celebrate the holidays with family and watch Jr play with all of his new toys. Today A & I are off to finish our Christmas shopping since tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I really can't believe how fast time has flown bye.
"What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God." ~ Danish Proverb
-Officially turned 5 months old!
-At 5 months he weighed 18 lbs and was 26 in long.
-Jr got to experience his first snow! Daddy pulled him around on a sled and he made his 1st snow angel. He absolutely loved playing in the snow and being pulled on the sled.
-He can move in a full circle when he's on his back. Jr is all over the place in his crib; he usually ends us completely flipped from where we left him (at both nap and bed time).
-Jr can also move in a complete circle on his tummy.
-He can do a complete push up with his arms and loves to look around at everything in this position.
-Jr loves to sit up and can actually balance on his own for awhile. Out of all the positions (tummy, back, sitting, etc.) he definitely prefers to sit and play.
-To say he loves his jumperoo is an understatement; he goes absolutely crazy when you put him in and loves to jump around nonstop.
-Everything continues to go in the mouth and the drool is nonstop.
-He constantly chews on his pointer finger and thumb. We still can't feel any teeth, but we're pretty sure he can feel them.
-We finally said enough with the paci. He doesn't like it at all and does just fine without it, so we decided to toss it.
-Jr is finally back to napping good (usually 50 mins) on his back and wakes up happy. We usually let him squirm around and hang out in his crib a little over an hour and then as long as he's happy we'll go get him. It took about 2 days of letting him cry it out to get him to sleep longer. We also started using some white noise (water, womb and thunderstorm sounds) during his nap time, which seems to be helping him sleep longer too. He takes a nap in the morning and afternoon and a little cat nap in the evening.
-Jr has really started noticing Rambo lately, he even reached out to pet him for the first time. Rambo just wanted to lick him, but Jr did manage to feel his fur before he got a big kiss from Rambo.
-Most all of his feedings come from the bottle now, because we need him to be good on the bottle so when we take our trip he's good for Grandma and Grandpa. Since giving him a bottle, it has sped up our feeding times to about 30 mins.
-Eats 3 tbsp baby food (only vegetables so far) and 1 tbsp barely cereal for breakfast, lunch, and supper. Along with usually 7-8 oz of milk. At supper and his bed time bottle he always takes more (dinner=10 oz and bedtime= 13 oz).
-Continues to sleep 11 hrs at night!
-He helped Mom and Dad celebrate their 3 year wedding anniversary! Annie and Tina babysat him, while Mom and Dad went and had a wonderful dinner. He did great for them and loves to play with Annie.
We've been so busy lately getting ready for Jacob's 1st Christmas and my family coming into town. Last night we went shopping at Toys R Us and got all of his Christmas gifts. We bought him some toys and a Radio Flyer wagon! I can't wait to celebrate the holidays with family and watch Jr play with all of his new toys. Today A & I are off to finish our Christmas shopping since tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I really can't believe how fast time has flown bye.
"What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God." ~ Danish Proverb
Thursday, December 17, 2009
2 Hearts beating as 1!
Two hearts beating as 1!!! Three years ago I married my best friend! Together in front of God, our family and friends our 2 bodies’ became 1 (For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh). We continued to fall in love with each other and the fairy tale story began. Last year our 2 hearts began beating as 1 body. We were expecting our first little miracle and now this year we are holding him in our arms every day. Both our hearts combined to beat as one heart in this world! Simply an ordinary miracle!!! God is AMAZING!
I can’t believe how fast time as flown by and the journey we’ve walked thus far as man and wife. A and I have been through so much together and I really can’t imagine walking through life with anyone else. A is my best friend and the one person that no matter what I can rely on. God truly blessed me with an incredible husband and now father of our child. The amount of love he has for the Lord and his family is immeasurable. Each day I give thanks to the Lord for blessing with a husband like A. He’s an incredible father to Jr and would do anything for the two of us. A is honest, a hard worker, dedicated to everything he does, patient, kind, loving, caring, he’s simply Amazing! I can’t wait to see where God leads us in the future, but with A holding my hand I’m more than ready to keep experiencing this journey called life together with my one true love.
Today I especially give thanks to being married to an incredible man and the father of our son! Life is good, God is GREAT, and A is AMAZING! Thank you Lord for my wonderful husband!
The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. - Genesis 2:18-24
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
20 wk highlights!
Today Jr turned 21 weeks! It's so amazing watching my lil man grow and discover this whole new world! With our anniversary in 2 days, Christmas in 10, and New Year's a week after that, and then the end of the season 3 days after New Year's, we are always going nonstop it seems....tis the season! Nonetheless, it's time to highlight what Jr has been up to this past week.
20 week highlight:
-Jr absolutely loves to play in his jumperoo. He can go around in a complete circle in his saucer and if he's fussy he'll calm down almost immediately as you put him in it. This week he has absolutely gone crazy in it; jumping around and having a ball of fun in it!
-Jr can sit up on his own for about quite a few secs, but he can tripod for about 5 mins all by himself. He loves to sit up and enjoys playing with (or more like trying to eat) his toys when he's sitting.
-Jr can roll and definitely prefers to be on his back rather than his stomach; maybe that's why he learned how to roll from his stomach to his back first. He's loves to roll to his side when he's on the back, especially to the left side.
-I left him alone playing on his gym the other day and when I came back a couple minutes later he was turned a 180 degrees from where I had left him. He definitely loves to move and so comes to our end of leaving him unattended.
-He no longer sleeps on his wedge, because he loves to roll off of it.
-We had to take the bumpers out of his crib, because he moves all over the place in his crib now.
-Jr continues to eat 3 tbsp of baby food and 1 tbsp of barely cereal 3x/day and of course loves his breast milk. I breast feed him at every meal and always offer a bottle afterward to make sure he gets enough to eat.
-Jr continues to sleep 11-12 hrs at night. He takes 2 naps during the day for about 40 mins and one during the evening for about 30 mins. Lately we've been able to get him to take a 1.5 hr nap during at least one of his naps.
-We gave Jr a teether today, since he puts everything else in his mouth we decided why not give him something that is suppose to go into his mouth. He really didn't care for it at first, but after awhile he thought it was okay to chew on.
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”-Psalm 27:14
20 week highlight:
-Jr absolutely loves to play in his jumperoo. He can go around in a complete circle in his saucer and if he's fussy he'll calm down almost immediately as you put him in it. This week he has absolutely gone crazy in it; jumping around and having a ball of fun in it!
-Jr can sit up on his own for about quite a few secs, but he can tripod for about 5 mins all by himself. He loves to sit up and enjoys playing with (or more like trying to eat) his toys when he's sitting.
-Jr can roll and definitely prefers to be on his back rather than his stomach; maybe that's why he learned how to roll from his stomach to his back first. He's loves to roll to his side when he's on the back, especially to the left side.
-I left him alone playing on his gym the other day and when I came back a couple minutes later he was turned a 180 degrees from where I had left him. He definitely loves to move and so comes to our end of leaving him unattended.
-He no longer sleeps on his wedge, because he loves to roll off of it.
-We had to take the bumpers out of his crib, because he moves all over the place in his crib now.
-Jr continues to eat 3 tbsp of baby food and 1 tbsp of barely cereal 3x/day and of course loves his breast milk. I breast feed him at every meal and always offer a bottle afterward to make sure he gets enough to eat.
-Jr continues to sleep 11-12 hrs at night. He takes 2 naps during the day for about 40 mins and one during the evening for about 30 mins. Lately we've been able to get him to take a 1.5 hr nap during at least one of his naps.
-We gave Jr a teether today, since he puts everything else in his mouth we decided why not give him something that is suppose to go into his mouth. He really didn't care for it at first, but after awhile he thought it was okay to chew on.
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”-Psalm 27:14
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Rollin' and Sittin'
Our little tootsie is......ROLLING! Yes, we couldn't believe it either. He's been rolling around this past week, but today he officially rolled over (did it more than a couple times in a row) and did it about 20 times in a row! He actually did it enough that I had time to pull out the video camera and get him flipping from his stomach to his back. He definitely prefers to be on his back rather than his stomach. Jr has been rolling to his side the past couple weeks, but now finds it fun to roll from his back to his side and back again. And if he's rolled onto his tummy, he'll roll himself to his back. It was so much fun playing with him tonight and watching him experiencing rolling over for the first time.
Our little man can also sit up. He can sit for about 3 seconds by himself, but if he tripods himself with his arm he can sit for 5 mins or so. Jr loves to sit up and see everything and especially likes if you put his toys between his legs so he can sit and play with them.
Everything continues to go in the mouth. Jr will even sit up in his high chair, get his mouth on his tray and suck. He definitely likes to eat and play; what a true boy!
We finally have a new little routine down. Up at 8, eat, play, (at 10)nap for 45min to and hr, play, eat at noon, play, nap (at 2 for about 45min- hr), play, eat at 4, play, catnap (6ish), play, bath at 7 or 8 (depends on if he takes a catnap in the evening or not), bottle, then bed. The past two nights Jr hasn't taken a catnap in the evening so we just put him to bed at 8 instead of 9. Last night he slept 12 hrs straight! It was awesome! I love that he sleeps so well at night and can handle him not sleeping so much during the day. He's so happy when he wakes up from his nap, unless of course we leave him in his crib too long. A and I really wanted him to sleep a little longer during the day, but he apparently doesn't need as much sleep as we thought. Jr gets more upset if we try to keep him down for a nap and is apparently rested enough that he's happy as can be throughout the rest of the day. The past couple days have been great and it's such a blessing to have a happy and content baby all day long.
*Side note- Christmas cards went out yesterday!
“A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!”-Proverbs 15:23
Our little man can also sit up. He can sit for about 3 seconds by himself, but if he tripods himself with his arm he can sit for 5 mins or so. Jr loves to sit up and see everything and especially likes if you put his toys between his legs so he can sit and play with them.
Everything continues to go in the mouth. Jr will even sit up in his high chair, get his mouth on his tray and suck. He definitely likes to eat and play; what a true boy!
We finally have a new little routine down. Up at 8, eat, play, (at 10)nap for 45min to and hr, play, eat at noon, play, nap (at 2 for about 45min- hr), play, eat at 4, play, catnap (6ish), play, bath at 7 or 8 (depends on if he takes a catnap in the evening or not), bottle, then bed. The past two nights Jr hasn't taken a catnap in the evening so we just put him to bed at 8 instead of 9. Last night he slept 12 hrs straight! It was awesome! I love that he sleeps so well at night and can handle him not sleeping so much during the day. He's so happy when he wakes up from his nap, unless of course we leave him in his crib too long. A and I really wanted him to sleep a little longer during the day, but he apparently doesn't need as much sleep as we thought. Jr gets more upset if we try to keep him down for a nap and is apparently rested enough that he's happy as can be throughout the rest of the day. The past couple days have been great and it's such a blessing to have a happy and content baby all day long.
*Side note- Christmas cards went out yesterday!
“A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!”-Proverbs 15:23
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Love my job & 19 week highlights
I can't believe Jr is already 20 weeks old! Sometimes it feels just like yesterday we were bringing him home. It's been an awesome ride so far and every day I wake up and give thanks for the coolest job ever! Lately all I can think about is how fortunate I am to be able to stay home with my baby and watch him grow each and every day. A and I were looking at pics of when he was first born compared to now and can't believe how much he's changed in 4 1/2 months not just physically either. Looking at his weekly pics you can start to see his personality shine through. He went from being curled up next to the bear & Scooby, hands over his face to sittings straight up (and now even trying to lean forward to sit on his own at times) and showing off his huge Gerber smile! As a parent watching him grow into a little guy is so awesome and one of the greatest blessing ever. He's such a happy baby that loves to eat, play, and snuggle! Life is great and being a stay at home mom is AWESOME!
With A and I's anniversary quickly approaching (9 days) I can't help but look at our life together thus far and praise the Lord for all he has granted me. A is an awesome husband and an incredible father! I feel so blessed to have him in my life and every time I look at him and he gives me that smile, my heart melts all over again, just like the night I met him.
Jr's 19 wk highlight:
-Jr loves to put his feet in the air and roll around on his back and butt. He grabs his toes and rolls around. Jr absolutely loves putting his toes up in the air and grabbing them with his hands. I put him in his rocker and he even tried to grab them in it.
-Got his pic taken for Christmas. Was a little burger during some of them, but I think we ended up with some pretty good ones to choose from. His smile will make your day that's for sure!
-Jr loves to look at himself in the mirror. He laughs, coos, talks, smiles, and just gets so excited when he sees himself. It's so much fun to watch him, because he really does think it's another baby he's seeing and talking to; endless hours (okay maybe minutes) of entertainment.
-Jr is grabbing everything he can get his hands on. A & I have thought for quite sometime that Jr might be a lefty. He swats and grabs for toys primarily with his left hand. If you're feeding him you have to hold down his left hand or he'll try to help you with the spoon. When going to feed him some peas he stuck his whole hand in the bowl and attempted to eat them off his hand. He's a handful when it comes to feeding, because he wants to help out and he moves nonstop.
-Lately when Jr gets a bottle, he insist he can hold it on his own. The only problem with this is that he doesn't help you much. Oh well, it's fun to see him discover all of these things.
-He naps about an hour and a half in the morning, hour in the afternoon, thirty mins at night, and then followed by 11 hrs at night. He's a great sleeper at night, which is such a blessing to any parent.
-Jr eats about 3 tbsp of vegs, 1 tbsp of barely cereal, and nurses at breakfast, lunch, dinner and then gets his last milk feeding right before bed. He breastfeeds first and then gets his solids. Seems to like the barely and it doesn't plug him up!
-Jr is growing so fast and insist he's a big boy now and can sit up on his own. A & I are always doing sit ups with him, so apparently they're paying off.
-Everything (seriously everything he can get his hands on) continues to go in the mouth.
-Jr wears a bib almost all the time minus when he is sleeping. He drools nonstop and if he didn't wear a bib we'd have nothing to wipe his mouth with and of course we'd be changing his clothes all the time.
-Jr's cheeks are turning rosy red and have been since the past couple weeks. Some say it might be due to teething.
With A and I's anniversary quickly approaching (9 days) I can't help but look at our life together thus far and praise the Lord for all he has granted me. A is an awesome husband and an incredible father! I feel so blessed to have him in my life and every time I look at him and he gives me that smile, my heart melts all over again, just like the night I met him.
Jr's 19 wk highlight:
-Jr loves to put his feet in the air and roll around on his back and butt. He grabs his toes and rolls around. Jr absolutely loves putting his toes up in the air and grabbing them with his hands. I put him in his rocker and he even tried to grab them in it.
-Got his pic taken for Christmas. Was a little burger during some of them, but I think we ended up with some pretty good ones to choose from. His smile will make your day that's for sure!
-Jr loves to look at himself in the mirror. He laughs, coos, talks, smiles, and just gets so excited when he sees himself. It's so much fun to watch him, because he really does think it's another baby he's seeing and talking to; endless hours (okay maybe minutes) of entertainment.
-Jr is grabbing everything he can get his hands on. A & I have thought for quite sometime that Jr might be a lefty. He swats and grabs for toys primarily with his left hand. If you're feeding him you have to hold down his left hand or he'll try to help you with the spoon. When going to feed him some peas he stuck his whole hand in the bowl and attempted to eat them off his hand. He's a handful when it comes to feeding, because he wants to help out and he moves nonstop.
-Lately when Jr gets a bottle, he insist he can hold it on his own. The only problem with this is that he doesn't help you much. Oh well, it's fun to see him discover all of these things.
-He naps about an hour and a half in the morning, hour in the afternoon, thirty mins at night, and then followed by 11 hrs at night. He's a great sleeper at night, which is such a blessing to any parent.
-Jr eats about 3 tbsp of vegs, 1 tbsp of barely cereal, and nurses at breakfast, lunch, dinner and then gets his last milk feeding right before bed. He breastfeeds first and then gets his solids. Seems to like the barely and it doesn't plug him up!
-Jr is growing so fast and insist he's a big boy now and can sit up on his own. A & I are always doing sit ups with him, so apparently they're paying off.
-Everything (seriously everything he can get his hands on) continues to go in the mouth.
-Jr wears a bib almost all the time minus when he is sleeping. He drools nonstop and if he didn't wear a bib we'd have nothing to wipe his mouth with and of course we'd be changing his clothes all the time.
-Jr's cheeks are turning rosy red and have been since the past couple weeks. Some say it might be due to teething.
Much as a person would tie a stake to a tomato plant to sustain it from the weight it carries; the strength of the stake is transferred to the plant and thus "bears it up." I am so thankful to have wonderful friends. It is if they say to me, "You're not going to fall and be broken or destroyed because I'm staking myself to you. My strength is now yours. Go ahead, lean on me. As long as I can stand, you will." Gal 6:2
Sunday, December 6, 2009
1 yr ago today and tidbits about Jr
One year ago today I found out I was expecting our first miracle child! I remember the morning like it was yesterday and will never forget the excitement I felt inside when I saw 2 lines appear! Every time I think about the whole experience of finding out, I can't help but smile and give thanks to the Lord for this true blessing that I now get to hold in my arms everyday. Life is good!
I was looking back at my pregnancy journal and told A how I forgot how sick I was for the first half. I did remember though that nausea feeling, because I had the same feeling last wk. No not because I'm pregnant, but I just had that same sick feeling to my stomach. A tells me all the time how I tend to forget things, which he's right I do. I remember though the instant the feeling comes back to me; it'll probably be the same thing with labor. I told A how I can do it drug free again, no biggy and he said, "Um...clearly you don't remember the pain you were in." And clearly I don't because it's through that pain that I was blessed with one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. Hints why the instant he was born I forgot about all the pain I'd just experienced. I love my husband with all my heart and feel so blessed to have a son who I can't wait to show the world to. Again, LIFE IS GOOD and GOD IS GREAT!
Jr has been growing so fast and I really can't believe how big he's getting; I clearly understand why he eats so much every time I pick him up and feel how big he is getting. I have a feeling he's going to be exactly like his daddy!
I keep forgetting to mention little tidbits about Jr so here they are:
-Last week he started making these dinosaur noises. We started calling him our little "Raptor!" He sounded like a baby dinosaur that had just been born. He hasn't done it much lately, but when everybody was here for Thanksgiving he did it nonstop it seemed like. Goofy kiddo!
-Jr has lost some of his hair; it's mainly on the sides from moving/rolling his head back and forth. He still has a lot of hair and the sides are growing back in. I have a feeling he's going to have thick hair just like A & I.
-It's funny the difference 20 weeks can make. When Jr was first born people could not believe how much hair he had. They also couldn't believe how little he was. Now he's lost a little hair and is huge for a 4 1/2 month old. I told A that we brought home a 5 year old (because he had a very skinny face and a ton of hair) and now we have our baby (chubby cheeks and just looks like a baby).
-Jr is finally back onto his regular pooping schedule, thank goodness! I started adding rice cereal back into his baby food and so far so good. He now eats 3 tbsp of baby food with some rice cereal mixed in at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and gets a bottle right before bed. He still seems like he could eat all day long, but then again most babies would eat all day long if they could. I nurse him at every feeding and usual give him a bottle at the end to make sure he is full.
-Thursday Jr got to meet Santa, well actually Santa met Jr while he was out cold. The country club across from our court was having Santa, one of his reindeer's', buggy rides, hot chocolate, pretty much the whole holiday works Thursday night. So we bundled up Jr (as it is freezing here) and took Annie to see Santa. We got our pic with the reindeer and then with Santa. Jr feel asleep in my arms while we waited in line for Santa. We did end up with a priceless pic of him sleeping in Santa's arms. It was so much fun and definitely worth standing out in the cold.
-Jr has had cradle cap for the past couple weeks and it is finally going away. He started getting it when he started losing his hair, but after brushing, brushing, and more brushing it's going away.
-Jr's can finally touch the ground with his feet in his jumperoo. For a long time we had a pillow underneath, then a book, and now there's nothing. He loves to push off with his feet and goes nuts when the who thing giggles him. Like I said before, I can't believe how big our little 6 lb baby has grown in just 19 weeks (almost 20)!
-Jr is so close to rolling over and if positioned right he can do it, but he hasn't quite got the whole concept of rolling completely over and continuing to roll. It's so much fun to watch him discover this world and see his eyes light up every time he discovers something new for the first time.
-Lately Jr has been waking up around 7:40ish. He sits and talks to himself for about 15 mins or so and then I usually go get him up and our day begins! It's so much fun to listen to him on the monitor; oh how I wonder what he is saying?!
-So Friday night Jenna came to take Jr's pics and a family pic for Christmas. After trying desperately to get him to smile, we only ended up with a handful of good ones. She came back yesterday to try to take some more, but again he was being the typical kiddo (all dressed up and looked so nice and would not smile at all). So finally today I dressed him up and I took the pics. They came out pretty good, so between mine and Jenna's I should be able to come up with a cute Christmas card. Jenna does such a good job and I really wish we could have got him to smile for her, but for whatever reasons our smiling 24/7 baby decided he would just sit there. At least though he would look at her.
-Jr just took a 2 hr morning nap! LIFE IS GOOD! GREAT NAP Buddy! NAPS ARE AWESOME!
We watched the NE vs. Texas game last night for the Big 12 Championship.....bummer. I'm disappointed in how we lost, but it is what it is and there's nothing we can do about it now. They lost on a last second field goal......gggggggrrrrrrr. I strongly dislike the Longhorns and even more so now. Oh well, I better stop thinking about it or I'll just get angry inside. A is still upset today about it. We don't like the Huskers or anything?! Nonetheless, NE has come a long way from the Billy C era and will continue to grow and get better each year with a coach like Bo.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”-John 10: 14-15
I was looking back at my pregnancy journal and told A how I forgot how sick I was for the first half. I did remember though that nausea feeling, because I had the same feeling last wk. No not because I'm pregnant, but I just had that same sick feeling to my stomach. A tells me all the time how I tend to forget things, which he's right I do. I remember though the instant the feeling comes back to me; it'll probably be the same thing with labor. I told A how I can do it drug free again, no biggy and he said, "Um...clearly you don't remember the pain you were in." And clearly I don't because it's through that pain that I was blessed with one of the greatest things to ever happen to me. Hints why the instant he was born I forgot about all the pain I'd just experienced. I love my husband with all my heart and feel so blessed to have a son who I can't wait to show the world to. Again, LIFE IS GOOD and GOD IS GREAT!
Jr has been growing so fast and I really can't believe how big he's getting; I clearly understand why he eats so much every time I pick him up and feel how big he is getting. I have a feeling he's going to be exactly like his daddy!
I keep forgetting to mention little tidbits about Jr so here they are:
-Last week he started making these dinosaur noises. We started calling him our little "Raptor!" He sounded like a baby dinosaur that had just been born. He hasn't done it much lately, but when everybody was here for Thanksgiving he did it nonstop it seemed like. Goofy kiddo!
-Jr has lost some of his hair; it's mainly on the sides from moving/rolling his head back and forth. He still has a lot of hair and the sides are growing back in. I have a feeling he's going to have thick hair just like A & I.
-It's funny the difference 20 weeks can make. When Jr was first born people could not believe how much hair he had. They also couldn't believe how little he was. Now he's lost a little hair and is huge for a 4 1/2 month old. I told A that we brought home a 5 year old (because he had a very skinny face and a ton of hair) and now we have our baby (chubby cheeks and just looks like a baby).
-Jr is finally back onto his regular pooping schedule, thank goodness! I started adding rice cereal back into his baby food and so far so good. He now eats 3 tbsp of baby food with some rice cereal mixed in at breakfast, lunch, and dinner and gets a bottle right before bed. He still seems like he could eat all day long, but then again most babies would eat all day long if they could. I nurse him at every feeding and usual give him a bottle at the end to make sure he is full.
-Thursday Jr got to meet Santa, well actually Santa met Jr while he was out cold. The country club across from our court was having Santa, one of his reindeer's', buggy rides, hot chocolate, pretty much the whole holiday works Thursday night. So we bundled up Jr (as it is freezing here) and took Annie to see Santa. We got our pic with the reindeer and then with Santa. Jr feel asleep in my arms while we waited in line for Santa. We did end up with a priceless pic of him sleeping in Santa's arms. It was so much fun and definitely worth standing out in the cold.
-Jr has had cradle cap for the past couple weeks and it is finally going away. He started getting it when he started losing his hair, but after brushing, brushing, and more brushing it's going away.
-Jr's can finally touch the ground with his feet in his jumperoo. For a long time we had a pillow underneath, then a book, and now there's nothing. He loves to push off with his feet and goes nuts when the who thing giggles him. Like I said before, I can't believe how big our little 6 lb baby has grown in just 19 weeks (almost 20)!
-Jr is so close to rolling over and if positioned right he can do it, but he hasn't quite got the whole concept of rolling completely over and continuing to roll. It's so much fun to watch him discover this world and see his eyes light up every time he discovers something new for the first time.
-Lately Jr has been waking up around 7:40ish. He sits and talks to himself for about 15 mins or so and then I usually go get him up and our day begins! It's so much fun to listen to him on the monitor; oh how I wonder what he is saying?!
-So Friday night Jenna came to take Jr's pics and a family pic for Christmas. After trying desperately to get him to smile, we only ended up with a handful of good ones. She came back yesterday to try to take some more, but again he was being the typical kiddo (all dressed up and looked so nice and would not smile at all). So finally today I dressed him up and I took the pics. They came out pretty good, so between mine and Jenna's I should be able to come up with a cute Christmas card. Jenna does such a good job and I really wish we could have got him to smile for her, but for whatever reasons our smiling 24/7 baby decided he would just sit there. At least though he would look at her.
-Jr just took a 2 hr morning nap! LIFE IS GOOD! GREAT NAP Buddy! NAPS ARE AWESOME!
We watched the NE vs. Texas game last night for the Big 12 Championship.....bummer. I'm disappointed in how we lost, but it is what it is and there's nothing we can do about it now. They lost on a last second field goal......gggggggrrrrrrr. I strongly dislike the Longhorns and even more so now. Oh well, I better stop thinking about it or I'll just get angry inside. A is still upset today about it. We don't like the Huskers or anything?! Nonetheless, NE has come a long way from the Billy C era and will continue to grow and get better each year with a coach like Bo.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”-John 10: 14-15
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Thanksgiving with the fam, back to normal, 18 wk highlights
I can't believe its already been a week since my last post. I really don't know where the days go and with the holidays among us it's only going to get more hectic. Nonetheless, the Christmas tree is up and the outside lights are up, so tis the season. And to top it off we're suppose to get snow tonight! So it's been a supper busy past week and weekend and now that the house is (too) quiet I better do a quick recap of everything the lil man has been up to.
Wednesday while everyone was at the arch, Jr napped like a "Champ!" It's so nice to be back on our old routine and to have a baby who sleeps over 30 mins really allows mom to get some things done. Once A got home, I ran to the store to pick up our Thanksgiving dinner. I pre-ordered it all from Dierbergs, so we didn't have to cook much come Thursday and could be able to enjoy each others company instead. Gina and Mark were suppose to come today, but Aleah had a double ear infections, so they decided it would be best to just stay put and let her get better. It kind of bummed everyone's spirits, but as parents we completely understood putting your child's needs first. Stacy got here in the evening and couldn't believe how much Jr had grown since she had seen him last.
Thursday (Happy Turkey Day) was probably one of the greatest Thanksgivings I've ever had. We started the day off with a wonderful breakfast feast: pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, etc. Stacy and I started preparing everything around noon so we could eat around 2:30ish. Everything turned out wonderful and it was truly a day to give "Thanks" for all that we've been blessed with. The company was awesome, the food was delicious, and I even got to enjoy my whole dinner in peace while my 4 month old son took his nap; probably not going to be the case next year! We played games, ate, ate a little more, played a little more and over all just had a wonderful Thanksgiving as a family! The kids, Keri and I went and played with Rambo in the yard. I've never seen the kids or Rambo have so much fun playing. One of our Thanksgiving traditions is to go around the table and say what we're thankful for; this year I am most thankful to be able to stay at home with my happy and healthy son. Today it's not only Thanksgiving it is also my Grandma's birthday. My parents went down to see her and I even got to wish her a "Happy Thanksgiving and Birthday" on the phone. She can finally talk since all the swelling in her tongue and neck are going down. I couldn't believe that I could understand her so well on the phone. I'm so thankful that she's doing great and I never knew how much of a fight my Grandma had in her, but watch out world because she is not giving up!
Friday was sad because Keri, John, and the kids had to head back home. It was so much fun having them here and the house was so much quieter once they left, which wasn't a good thing. Dalton and Taylor are such sweethearts and every time Dalton came around Jr he wanted to give him a hug or kiss. I just keep hearing in my head, "Can I give my baby cousin a kiss?" and then my heart melts because they just wanted to give their baby cousin love all the time. We watched the Huskers beat CU! Always a delight when that happens, because we can rub it into Mark for the next year. Stacy and I went shopping at Kohl's since it was black Friday and they had some pretty good sales. This was so out of character for both of us and after about 20 mins we looked at each other and laughed. We really couldn't believe we went shopping together; such a girly thing to do! I did get some good deals on Jr's clothes, which is a plus considering he fits in them one week and the next their just a little too tight. All the clothes I bought him are 9 month clothes hoping he'd grown into them, however they fit perfect right now! There are countless times that A and I look at each other and say, "He's going to be big!" Which would not be a big surprise given his genes.
Saturday was full of more football, fun, and family time. We took it pretty easy around the house and had a great laid back day.
Sunday we brook out the Christmas decorations. Stacy helped me put up the tree, while A took his parents to the game. I managed to get pretty much the whole house decorated between Jr's naps. Jr is fascinated by the lights on the tree. We took A's parents out for his dad's birthday once they got home from the game. Jr did great the whole time and even allowed us to go get ice cream after a great dinner. I really think his parents had a great time and it was nice to treat them to something special.
Monday morning A took his parents to the airport and just like that everyone was gone; a very sad day for A and I. And like I always say, just a reminder of how we really wish we lived closer to family, maybe someday. With everybody gone, it was time to get the house cleaned and back into the day to day routine. So most of Monday consisted of laundry, cleaning, and taking care of Jr.
Tuesday Jr turned 19 wks! We went out for breakfast for our little Tuesday tradition. Afterwards we went and got Jr a cute little outfit for our Christmas pics. Jr did great the whole time we were out and to be able to eat a whole meal without a baby in my arms was a blessing. It was another day of trying to catch up on things that have been over looked since we've had company.
Today (Wednesday) our outside decorations got put up, so our home is decked out for the holidays. The past 2 years I've done the decorating outside (lights on the roof and lawn orniments), but not this year we had to hire our lawn guy to do it all. It was kind of sad not being able to do it myself, but I clearly don't have the time to do it so I was okay with having another person do it. I hope to do it next year though, but we will see. It just started to rain this afternoon and it they say it's going to snow this afternoon/evening....I really hope it does! Today we went back onto his 4 hr schedule and are no longer doing a little feeding before his naps. We knew he could do it, because he'd done it before it's just a matter of getting him back onto that routine. The result from today= happy baby and a great day for baby and Mommy!
Jr update: He seems to be like a roller coaster lately, good days and then not so good days. It all comes down to not napping. He was on a great little routine, but since we got back from NE its been a work in process. Last week he was napping like a champ again, but once everyone left he started doing his 40 min naps again. Luckily he continues to sleep through the night and usually I have to wake him up in the morning. If he does wake up early he just sits and coos and talks to himself in his crib. Today (Wednesday) he's had an awesome day and we just spent a half hour laughing and playing tonight, which totally made moms day. I love seeing his Gerber smile and his laughs crack A and I up all the time. He tries so hard to move when he's on his tummy, but only goes in a circle. His arms and legs move nonstop and when he can move he's going to be gone.
18 wk highlight:
-Got 4 month old shots. Had a rough night following them, just wanted to sleep in mommy's arms'; not a terrible thing I guess.
-Met Grandpa Dave for the first time. Loves to talk and smile at Grandpa. Grandpa couldn't believe how happy Jr was and what an awesome kid he is.
-Jr is slowing getting back to his old sleep routine,
-Celebrated first Thanksgiving with the Carriker side. Took a nap during the whole meal, which allowed Mommy and Daddy to get seconds!
-Had white grape juice for the first time. Mixed in with his rice cereal to help with the constipation, didn't help in the end.
-Sleeps 11 1/5 hrs at night.
-Eats 1 1/2 tbsp baby food at lunch and supper. Doesn't eat rice cereal anymore because it seemed to make him constipated. Likes/eats squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and now peas. I haven't given him squash or cereal since trying to get his system back in order.
-Entered the "Everything in the mouth" stage. Toys, fists, blanket, shirt, etc. etc. it all goes in the mouth to be chewed on!
-Really enjoys grabbing toys and and of course putting them to his mouth.
-Jr is constantly using his fingers to hold things and really play with them.
-Helped put up the Christmas tree, well he actually took a nap when Aunt Stacy and Mommy put it up, but he approved it when he woke up and smiled when he saw all the lights.
-Is doing the Baby Can Read program daily. Really likes the video and the flash cards and book seem to catch his attention.
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.”-1 Chronicles 16:8
Wednesday while everyone was at the arch, Jr napped like a "Champ!" It's so nice to be back on our old routine and to have a baby who sleeps over 30 mins really allows mom to get some things done. Once A got home, I ran to the store to pick up our Thanksgiving dinner. I pre-ordered it all from Dierbergs, so we didn't have to cook much come Thursday and could be able to enjoy each others company instead. Gina and Mark were suppose to come today, but Aleah had a double ear infections, so they decided it would be best to just stay put and let her get better. It kind of bummed everyone's spirits, but as parents we completely understood putting your child's needs first. Stacy got here in the evening and couldn't believe how much Jr had grown since she had seen him last.
Thursday (Happy Turkey Day) was probably one of the greatest Thanksgivings I've ever had. We started the day off with a wonderful breakfast feast: pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, etc. Stacy and I started preparing everything around noon so we could eat around 2:30ish. Everything turned out wonderful and it was truly a day to give "Thanks" for all that we've been blessed with. The company was awesome, the food was delicious, and I even got to enjoy my whole dinner in peace while my 4 month old son took his nap; probably not going to be the case next year! We played games, ate, ate a little more, played a little more and over all just had a wonderful Thanksgiving as a family! The kids, Keri and I went and played with Rambo in the yard. I've never seen the kids or Rambo have so much fun playing. One of our Thanksgiving traditions is to go around the table and say what we're thankful for; this year I am most thankful to be able to stay at home with my happy and healthy son. Today it's not only Thanksgiving it is also my Grandma's birthday. My parents went down to see her and I even got to wish her a "Happy Thanksgiving and Birthday" on the phone. She can finally talk since all the swelling in her tongue and neck are going down. I couldn't believe that I could understand her so well on the phone. I'm so thankful that she's doing great and I never knew how much of a fight my Grandma had in her, but watch out world because she is not giving up!
Friday was sad because Keri, John, and the kids had to head back home. It was so much fun having them here and the house was so much quieter once they left, which wasn't a good thing. Dalton and Taylor are such sweethearts and every time Dalton came around Jr he wanted to give him a hug or kiss. I just keep hearing in my head, "Can I give my baby cousin a kiss?" and then my heart melts because they just wanted to give their baby cousin love all the time. We watched the Huskers beat CU! Always a delight when that happens, because we can rub it into Mark for the next year. Stacy and I went shopping at Kohl's since it was black Friday and they had some pretty good sales. This was so out of character for both of us and after about 20 mins we looked at each other and laughed. We really couldn't believe we went shopping together; such a girly thing to do! I did get some good deals on Jr's clothes, which is a plus considering he fits in them one week and the next their just a little too tight. All the clothes I bought him are 9 month clothes hoping he'd grown into them, however they fit perfect right now! There are countless times that A and I look at each other and say, "He's going to be big!" Which would not be a big surprise given his genes.
Saturday was full of more football, fun, and family time. We took it pretty easy around the house and had a great laid back day.
Sunday we brook out the Christmas decorations. Stacy helped me put up the tree, while A took his parents to the game. I managed to get pretty much the whole house decorated between Jr's naps. Jr is fascinated by the lights on the tree. We took A's parents out for his dad's birthday once they got home from the game. Jr did great the whole time and even allowed us to go get ice cream after a great dinner. I really think his parents had a great time and it was nice to treat them to something special.
Monday morning A took his parents to the airport and just like that everyone was gone; a very sad day for A and I. And like I always say, just a reminder of how we really wish we lived closer to family, maybe someday. With everybody gone, it was time to get the house cleaned and back into the day to day routine. So most of Monday consisted of laundry, cleaning, and taking care of Jr.
Tuesday Jr turned 19 wks! We went out for breakfast for our little Tuesday tradition. Afterwards we went and got Jr a cute little outfit for our Christmas pics. Jr did great the whole time we were out and to be able to eat a whole meal without a baby in my arms was a blessing. It was another day of trying to catch up on things that have been over looked since we've had company.
Today (Wednesday) our outside decorations got put up, so our home is decked out for the holidays. The past 2 years I've done the decorating outside (lights on the roof and lawn orniments), but not this year we had to hire our lawn guy to do it all. It was kind of sad not being able to do it myself, but I clearly don't have the time to do it so I was okay with having another person do it. I hope to do it next year though, but we will see. It just started to rain this afternoon and it they say it's going to snow this afternoon/evening....I really hope it does! Today we went back onto his 4 hr schedule and are no longer doing a little feeding before his naps. We knew he could do it, because he'd done it before it's just a matter of getting him back onto that routine. The result from today= happy baby and a great day for baby and Mommy!
Jr update: He seems to be like a roller coaster lately, good days and then not so good days. It all comes down to not napping. He was on a great little routine, but since we got back from NE its been a work in process. Last week he was napping like a champ again, but once everyone left he started doing his 40 min naps again. Luckily he continues to sleep through the night and usually I have to wake him up in the morning. If he does wake up early he just sits and coos and talks to himself in his crib. Today (Wednesday) he's had an awesome day and we just spent a half hour laughing and playing tonight, which totally made moms day. I love seeing his Gerber smile and his laughs crack A and I up all the time. He tries so hard to move when he's on his tummy, but only goes in a circle. His arms and legs move nonstop and when he can move he's going to be gone.
18 wk highlight:
-Got 4 month old shots. Had a rough night following them, just wanted to sleep in mommy's arms'; not a terrible thing I guess.
-Met Grandpa Dave for the first time. Loves to talk and smile at Grandpa. Grandpa couldn't believe how happy Jr was and what an awesome kid he is.
-Jr is slowing getting back to his old sleep routine,
-Celebrated first Thanksgiving with the Carriker side. Took a nap during the whole meal, which allowed Mommy and Daddy to get seconds!
-Had white grape juice for the first time. Mixed in with his rice cereal to help with the constipation, didn't help in the end.
-Sleeps 11 1/5 hrs at night.
-Eats 1 1/2 tbsp baby food at lunch and supper. Doesn't eat rice cereal anymore because it seemed to make him constipated. Likes/eats squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, and now peas. I haven't given him squash or cereal since trying to get his system back in order.
-Entered the "Everything in the mouth" stage. Toys, fists, blanket, shirt, etc. etc. it all goes in the mouth to be chewed on!
-Really enjoys grabbing toys and and of course putting them to his mouth.
-Jr is constantly using his fingers to hold things and really play with them.
-Helped put up the Christmas tree, well he actually took a nap when Aunt Stacy and Mommy put it up, but he approved it when he woke up and smiled when he saw all the lights.
-Is doing the Baby Can Read program daily. Really likes the video and the flash cards and book seem to catch his attention.
“Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.”-1 Chronicles 16:8
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Family here, Jr not himself, Mommy update, 17 wk highlights, Jr finally napping, 4 month check up
Okay so I meant to post this first part of my blog yesterday, but ran out of time and didn't get to it. So at the end I updated all the changes.
Saturday Keri, John, and the kids got to our house around noonish. I was greeted with a big hug from both Taylor and Dalton. They're so sweet and just love A & I to death. They were so happy to see us and even happier to meet their cousin. We went out to Red Robin for lunch and later that evening watched the Huskers win against KSU, making them the Big 12 North Champs. They head to Dallas to play the Longhorns at the new Dallas stadium. Unfortunately A or I won't be going to it, but it sure would have been a lot of fun. PJ, Shanoon, and Uncle Bill are just a few of the lucky people who are going.
Sunday everyone went to the game, while Jr and I stayed home. I can't wait to start going to the games again, however I don't think that'll be until next year. It's really not worth the hassle with a 4 month old; now if his daddy was playing of course we would be there, but he's not so there's really no reason for us to go. I can't believe next year at this time he'll be running around and terrorizing everyone and everything. I really can't even imagine him crawling and sitting up, which is not that far off from.
Monday we took it easy in the morning just playing and what not. Once it was time for Jr's afternoon nap we went shopping at Toys R Us for some Christmas gifts. At home I helped Dalton put together a Lego car he had got at the store, while Taylor babysat Jr. It was so cute because she asked if she could just play with him in the other room by herself. Jr loves Taylor and cried when she left the room. It was fun putting together the car with Dalton. I love to build things and can remember as a kid building things with Kenex for hours on end. I can just see myself now building things with Jr. Oh the things we'll be able to show daddy when he comes home from work. Okay enough day dreaming, back to what we've been up to. After supper Keri, Taylor, and I ran to get Taylor a snowglobe for good grades and went to the grocery store, where we bought way too much junk food! As soon as we got home it was bath, boob/bottle, bed for Jr who was more than ready to head to bed.
Jr is 18 weeks today (Tuesday)! We're headed to get his 4 month shots today. I have a feeling he might be a little fussy tonight, but am praying it goes like when he was 2 months and didn't have a single side effect. The kids and I built a Gingerbread house this morning. It was a lot of fun and you can definitely tell the difference between a boy and a girl. Taylor was putting the candy on the roof really nice and neat and Dalton on the other hand wanted to dump the candy out of the bag and just eat it and maybe put a little on the roof. I think the kids had a good time and of course were super happy because they got to build it with the coolest aunt ever. Jr took a 2 hr morning nap! I really can't believe it and I swear A & I didn't know what to do with ourselves. We fed him at 8 as usual and then again right before his nap. He woke up about 40 mins into, but I just went and gave him his paci and success back to sleep. Keri and John went and picked up Dave and Nancy from the airport, while we ran Jr to the dr.
Jr hasn't been himself the past 2 weeks. He's constantly fussy it seems like and wants to eat endless amounts of milk. He used to be on a great little routine and was the happiest and most content baby on the earth. However, ever since we've gotten back from NE he's not been himself. He used to nap really well, however he naps for about 30 mins at a time equalling 1.5 hr of total nap time. He did take a 2 hr nap this morning though, so maybe we're getting back on track. Thank goodness he sleeps like a champ at night, but we really need to figure out what is going on during the day. So here's an example of what yesterday (Monday) looked like: ate 8 oz and nursed a little for breakfast, took 3 oz just before his nap at 10, woke up screaming and mouthing his fist at 10:40, ate 11 oz at noon, napped from 2-2:50ish, ate 14 oz at 4:00, was mouthing his fist at 5:30, ate at 7:00, went to bed a little after 8:00. I can't believe how much he eats during the day and if we would let him he'd probably eat all day long. We definitely celebrate the fact that he sleeps so well at night, but am baffled how he can go 12 hrs without food, but can barely last 4 hrs during the day. We stopped all baby food and rice cereal to help him go the bathroom, which leads us to should we try rice cereal or not. It's something heavier on his stomach and would probably help him feel full, but it made him constipated so what to do. We also think he might be getting teeth. I don't think they're cutting through yet, but he definitely shows the signs of teething (drool, hands in mouth, fussy, etc.). So all things combined our little guy has had a rough couple weeks and obviously we're hoping the dr can answer some of our questions and give us some suggestions about what to do. Praying that Jr returns to his old self and that all becomes calm in the Carriker household soon. I am celebrating the fact he took a 2 hr morning nap!
Mommy update: I've developed a severe cold that I can't seem to kick. I woke up this morning feeling terrible; I was all congested in my chest and could barely breathe. Today (Tuesday) at Jr's dr, I am going to ask him what I can take since I'm breastfeeding. I can't believe how many things are starting to pile onto each other this week. Between Jr not being himself, my cold, company here and coming, and Thanksgiving in 2 days, I really think I'm going to need a vacation next week! Side notes: my pregnancy line is almost gone and I shed so much hair a day I think I could have made about 5 wigs so far. A tells me I shed more than Rambo, which I can't argue.
17 wk highlights:
-Officially turned 4 months according to the calender.
-Experienced first set of sniffles/cold. Luckily was able to fight it off, so it didn't turn into anything big.
-Loves to spend time with Grandma Tina and watching them snuggle together makes mom’s heart melt.
-Has been only napping for 30-45 min in the morning and afternoon, making for a grumpy baby at times. Trying some different things such as feeding Jr a little more and right before he goes down for his nap.
-Jr hasn't been pooping like normal. So we decided to stop all baby food and cereal for right now and are going to try and get his body back to being regular.
-Constantly chews on his fist, bib, your hand, pretty much anything he can get his hands on and up to his mouth. Is showing signs of teething, but don't have any teeth cutting through yet. He constantly acts like he's hungry, despite how much he might have just eaten. This boy truly has an unbelievable appetite.
-Met Uncle John and Aunt Keri for the first time. They both thought Jr was big and looked like A.
-Got to meet some of his cousins for the first time (Dalton and Taylor). Dalton insisted on giving him a hug all the time. It's so cute to watch him get down and hug him. Jr loves to stare at Taylor. Taylor is a big help with him and really likes to sit and hold him.
-The past 2 wks Jr just hasn't been himself and is leaving mommy and daddy wondering where their happy and content baby went. He's not bad by any means, he's just not himself (happy and content).
-Doesn't care for his car seat, especially when he's awake.
Okay so here's an update from yesterday afternoon thru part of today (Wednesday):
Jr is back to himself! Thank you God for my precious "Happy" boy! Yesterday (Tuesday), Jr took a good solid 2 hr nap in the morning. Ate a good lunch and then we headed off to the dr. He was just like a typical kid in the fact that he wanted to make liars out of mommy and daddy. He did great at the dr (we had to see the nurse practitioner) and she really couldn't get enough of him. Jr was all smiles and cooing during the whole visit, of course until the shots came. He really didn't cry that much after his shots and after a little milk went to sleep for his afternoon nap. We had to stop at Walgreens to pick up some white grape juice to put in his cereal so he doesn't get constipated. We got home the exact time that Keri and John did with Grandma & Grandpa Carriker. Jr stayed asleep for awhile in his car seat and as soon as he fussed around a little I moved him into his crib, where he took the rest of his 2 hr nap! Thank goodness! He had a really good evening until about a little after 8 when we went to put him down. He just started crying with his eyes shut and everything. After I got him calmed down he was out for about 40 min and then came a long 5 hrs of crying in his sleep. I think his legs were sore from the shots and every time he would move he'd cry because it hurt. I bounced, rocked, slept in the rocker, pretty much did everything last night until about 1:00 when A took over so I could pump. We put him down around 1:30 and he slept till a little past 7. This morning when he woke up, I just took him into our room and rocked with him (of which he fell asleep till a little before 8). As I type this right now we are on successful nap #1 of today......going on 1.5 hrs! Hints why I have time to write on this. Everyone headed down to the arch except for A, Jr, and I. A is at rehab and working out, and of course Jr is trying to get back on a schedule so we stayed behind. I really didn't think it would be worth dragging him along just to be in his car seat, of which he's not a big fan of when he's awake. Okay, so I better post this and get some lunch ready for Jr. Praying that the happiness continues and that we're back to normal.
4 month check up:
Height: 25 in (52%)
Weight: 16 lbs 6.5 oz (78%)
Head: 17 in (74%)
-Had second round of most of his shots. Did great at the dr office, however had a rough night because of the shots.
-Overall is doing great and is right on track developmental wise!
“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”-Galatians 6:2
Saturday Keri, John, and the kids got to our house around noonish. I was greeted with a big hug from both Taylor and Dalton. They're so sweet and just love A & I to death. They were so happy to see us and even happier to meet their cousin. We went out to Red Robin for lunch and later that evening watched the Huskers win against KSU, making them the Big 12 North Champs. They head to Dallas to play the Longhorns at the new Dallas stadium. Unfortunately A or I won't be going to it, but it sure would have been a lot of fun. PJ, Shanoon, and Uncle Bill are just a few of the lucky people who are going.
Sunday everyone went to the game, while Jr and I stayed home. I can't wait to start going to the games again, however I don't think that'll be until next year. It's really not worth the hassle with a 4 month old; now if his daddy was playing of course we would be there, but he's not so there's really no reason for us to go. I can't believe next year at this time he'll be running around and terrorizing everyone and everything. I really can't even imagine him crawling and sitting up, which is not that far off from.
Monday we took it easy in the morning just playing and what not. Once it was time for Jr's afternoon nap we went shopping at Toys R Us for some Christmas gifts. At home I helped Dalton put together a Lego car he had got at the store, while Taylor babysat Jr. It was so cute because she asked if she could just play with him in the other room by herself. Jr loves Taylor and cried when she left the room. It was fun putting together the car with Dalton. I love to build things and can remember as a kid building things with Kenex for hours on end. I can just see myself now building things with Jr. Oh the things we'll be able to show daddy when he comes home from work. Okay enough day dreaming, back to what we've been up to. After supper Keri, Taylor, and I ran to get Taylor a snowglobe for good grades and went to the grocery store, where we bought way too much junk food! As soon as we got home it was bath, boob/bottle, bed for Jr who was more than ready to head to bed.
Jr is 18 weeks today (Tuesday)! We're headed to get his 4 month shots today. I have a feeling he might be a little fussy tonight, but am praying it goes like when he was 2 months and didn't have a single side effect. The kids and I built a Gingerbread house this morning. It was a lot of fun and you can definitely tell the difference between a boy and a girl. Taylor was putting the candy on the roof really nice and neat and Dalton on the other hand wanted to dump the candy out of the bag and just eat it and maybe put a little on the roof. I think the kids had a good time and of course were super happy because they got to build it with the coolest aunt ever. Jr took a 2 hr morning nap! I really can't believe it and I swear A & I didn't know what to do with ourselves. We fed him at 8 as usual and then again right before his nap. He woke up about 40 mins into, but I just went and gave him his paci and success back to sleep. Keri and John went and picked up Dave and Nancy from the airport, while we ran Jr to the dr.
Jr hasn't been himself the past 2 weeks. He's constantly fussy it seems like and wants to eat endless amounts of milk. He used to be on a great little routine and was the happiest and most content baby on the earth. However, ever since we've gotten back from NE he's not been himself. He used to nap really well, however he naps for about 30 mins at a time equalling 1.5 hr of total nap time. He did take a 2 hr nap this morning though, so maybe we're getting back on track. Thank goodness he sleeps like a champ at night, but we really need to figure out what is going on during the day. So here's an example of what yesterday (Monday) looked like: ate 8 oz and nursed a little for breakfast, took 3 oz just before his nap at 10, woke up screaming and mouthing his fist at 10:40, ate 11 oz at noon, napped from 2-2:50ish, ate 14 oz at 4:00, was mouthing his fist at 5:30, ate at 7:00, went to bed a little after 8:00. I can't believe how much he eats during the day and if we would let him he'd probably eat all day long. We definitely celebrate the fact that he sleeps so well at night, but am baffled how he can go 12 hrs without food, but can barely last 4 hrs during the day. We stopped all baby food and rice cereal to help him go the bathroom, which leads us to should we try rice cereal or not. It's something heavier on his stomach and would probably help him feel full, but it made him constipated so what to do. We also think he might be getting teeth. I don't think they're cutting through yet, but he definitely shows the signs of teething (drool, hands in mouth, fussy, etc.). So all things combined our little guy has had a rough couple weeks and obviously we're hoping the dr can answer some of our questions and give us some suggestions about what to do. Praying that Jr returns to his old self and that all becomes calm in the Carriker household soon. I am celebrating the fact he took a 2 hr morning nap!
Mommy update: I've developed a severe cold that I can't seem to kick. I woke up this morning feeling terrible; I was all congested in my chest and could barely breathe. Today (Tuesday) at Jr's dr, I am going to ask him what I can take since I'm breastfeeding. I can't believe how many things are starting to pile onto each other this week. Between Jr not being himself, my cold, company here and coming, and Thanksgiving in 2 days, I really think I'm going to need a vacation next week! Side notes: my pregnancy line is almost gone and I shed so much hair a day I think I could have made about 5 wigs so far. A tells me I shed more than Rambo, which I can't argue.
17 wk highlights:
-Officially turned 4 months according to the calender.
-Experienced first set of sniffles/cold. Luckily was able to fight it off, so it didn't turn into anything big.
-Loves to spend time with Grandma Tina and watching them snuggle together makes mom’s heart melt.
-Has been only napping for 30-45 min in the morning and afternoon, making for a grumpy baby at times. Trying some different things such as feeding Jr a little more and right before he goes down for his nap.
-Jr hasn't been pooping like normal. So we decided to stop all baby food and cereal for right now and are going to try and get his body back to being regular.
-Constantly chews on his fist, bib, your hand, pretty much anything he can get his hands on and up to his mouth. Is showing signs of teething, but don't have any teeth cutting through yet. He constantly acts like he's hungry, despite how much he might have just eaten. This boy truly has an unbelievable appetite.
-Met Uncle John and Aunt Keri for the first time. They both thought Jr was big and looked like A.
-Got to meet some of his cousins for the first time (Dalton and Taylor). Dalton insisted on giving him a hug all the time. It's so cute to watch him get down and hug him. Jr loves to stare at Taylor. Taylor is a big help with him and really likes to sit and hold him.
-The past 2 wks Jr just hasn't been himself and is leaving mommy and daddy wondering where their happy and content baby went. He's not bad by any means, he's just not himself (happy and content).
-Doesn't care for his car seat, especially when he's awake.
Okay so here's an update from yesterday afternoon thru part of today (Wednesday):
Jr is back to himself! Thank you God for my precious "Happy" boy! Yesterday (Tuesday), Jr took a good solid 2 hr nap in the morning. Ate a good lunch and then we headed off to the dr. He was just like a typical kid in the fact that he wanted to make liars out of mommy and daddy. He did great at the dr (we had to see the nurse practitioner) and she really couldn't get enough of him. Jr was all smiles and cooing during the whole visit, of course until the shots came. He really didn't cry that much after his shots and after a little milk went to sleep for his afternoon nap. We had to stop at Walgreens to pick up some white grape juice to put in his cereal so he doesn't get constipated. We got home the exact time that Keri and John did with Grandma & Grandpa Carriker. Jr stayed asleep for awhile in his car seat and as soon as he fussed around a little I moved him into his crib, where he took the rest of his 2 hr nap! Thank goodness! He had a really good evening until about a little after 8 when we went to put him down. He just started crying with his eyes shut and everything. After I got him calmed down he was out for about 40 min and then came a long 5 hrs of crying in his sleep. I think his legs were sore from the shots and every time he would move he'd cry because it hurt. I bounced, rocked, slept in the rocker, pretty much did everything last night until about 1:00 when A took over so I could pump. We put him down around 1:30 and he slept till a little past 7. This morning when he woke up, I just took him into our room and rocked with him (of which he fell asleep till a little before 8). As I type this right now we are on successful nap #1 of today......going on 1.5 hrs! Hints why I have time to write on this. Everyone headed down to the arch except for A, Jr, and I. A is at rehab and working out, and of course Jr is trying to get back on a schedule so we stayed behind. I really didn't think it would be worth dragging him along just to be in his car seat, of which he's not a big fan of when he's awake. Okay, so I better post this and get some lunch ready for Jr. Praying that the happiness continues and that we're back to normal.
4 month check up:
Height: 25 in (52%)
Weight: 16 lbs 6.5 oz (78%)
Head: 17 in (74%)
-Had second round of most of his shots. Did great at the dr office, however had a rough night because of the shots.
-Overall is doing great and is right on track developmental wise!
“Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”-Galatians 6:2
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Jr 4 months, Busy getting ready for family, Naps
And so it is Saturday….ALREADY! And Jr is 4 MONTHS TODAY! I really can’t believe how fast time is flying bye. Thanksgiving is less than a week away and soon after is our anniversary, followed quickly by Jr’s first Christmas! Oh, tis the season! I absolutely love the holidays and am so excited to see our families.
I’ve been going non-stop this week and only have a little time to finish this blog before it’s time to clock in for my mommy and wifey duties. Nonetheless here’s a very quick recap of what we’ve been up to this week.
Tuesday was kind of like our typical day overall. We went out for dinner at Applebee’s and then to the grocery story to start getting some thing for when people get here for Thanksgiving. By the time we got home, it was unload and put away groceries before bath, bottle, and then bed. I stayed up to have some more “me” time, but I honestly stayed up because I needed to cook up some meat for next week. I managed to get one meal cooked and frozen.
Wednesday is our typical date afternoon, however we were going to pass this week because of everything we were trying to get done. After thinking about it for a while, I decided it might be a good idea if we ran to Sam’s and did a couple other errands Jr free. Knowing that Tina really wanted to watch him for a little bit, I shot her a text and she was all over it. Jr really loves when Tina comes over and the sight of them rocking together when we got home made my heart melt. It was just a reminder to me of how precious our little boy truly is and how amazing our God is to have created all of this. I hadn’t been to Sam’s in a long time, so we definitely loaded up for the holidays. Annie just watched in ah as A and I carried in boxes of corn, tp, paper towels, cereal, etc, etc. It was so funny because she told me, “I don’t think you need to go to the grocery store for a looooooooooong time!” Kids will tell you like it is! Gotta love ‘em! Yet again it was another busy evening and night. I stayed up late again to cook another meal for next week. I’ve been trying to get everything cooked (our dinner meals) for next week so we don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and can just enjoy everyone’s company.
Thursday we had bible study at our house. Jr got to see Georgia (his playmate), who is so much littler than him now. She just stares at him every time they’re together, but Jr could really care less. He would occasionally look at her, but was mainly fixated on everyone walking around and talking. He’s funny because he’s such a talker unless we’re in a big group of people, then he’ll just look around and will hardly say a word. Bible study was great and definitely something I needed this week. It always helps me to ground myself and take time for God. Most of Thursday evening turned into troubleshooting our Internet and kid. Jr had a good morning, but rough afternoon and was ready for his bath, bottle and bed by the end of the day. We’ve been trying to work on his naps, but I really think he’s still hungry which makes him wake up early. I’ve learned so much about myself and have really grown into a young confident mother over the past 17 weeks. Parenting is such a learning job each and every day. It’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but yet probably the most rewarding job ever. Whenever I get frustrated or down I just look at my precious blessing from God and remember just how fortunate we are to have Jr. He always gets an extra squeeze and kiss then! And yes God gets many thanks then too! Luckily I didn't have to stay up late to cook a meal, because I was able to get it done during the day! I can't believe I got all our meals made and frozen, except for one!
Friday was full of one last run to the store, fixing our internet, cleaning the house a little, laundry, pretty much the usual things we had to do to ready for company. Vic came out and tried to fix our Internet. He was here for 2 hrs and still couldn’t figure it out. But long behold after 2 different routers and I don’t know how many hours later of trying to fix this thing, the computer Gods finally came through and I got us Internet late that night.
It always seems like everything just starts to pile onto each other all at one time. First it was Jr waking up early from his naps, then a mouse in our house (oh wait, make it 3! I don’t even want to talk about it), the internet goes out, I have another sore throat, Jr not pooping right, and well yes I could go on, but it’s not worth it. All I can say is that I’m so happy the holidays are here and I get to see my niece and nephew today and that Jr finally gets to meet some of his cousins! Keri and John should be here by 11:00ish today.
Jr side note:
-The cold/sniffles have completely gone away! Thank goodness. So we’ve yet to experience a full-blown cold.
-Loves to spend time with Grandma Tina and watching them snuggle together makes mom’s heart melt.
-Has been waking up 30-45 min into his naps. However after doing some ready last night I think A & I have finally figured out what is going on. We decided to feed him a bottle at every feeding except for his last feeding, of which I will nurse him and give him a bottle at the end if he wishes. We still want him to nurse sometimes, but nursing along I don’t think he gets enough and even though we try to give him a bottle at the end he usually won’t take it. So we’ve decided its time to make sure he’s getting enough to eat and then he will hopefully stop waking up during his sleep cycle. Thank goodness he continues to be a champ at night and sleeps 8:30-8:00. I really hope this works. The fun thing (and not so fun thing at times) of being a parent is the trial and error part. I guess we will see.
-Jr hasn't been pooping like normal, so we've had to use a suppository to help him out. I feel sorry for the little guy because you can see him just straining and pushing with all he has. Poor lil fellow has had a lot of gas lately too. We go in Tuesday for his 4 month check up, hopefully he's back to his regular self before then.
“[Thanksgiving] I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—”- 1 Corinthians 1:4-5
I’ve been going non-stop this week and only have a little time to finish this blog before it’s time to clock in for my mommy and wifey duties. Nonetheless here’s a very quick recap of what we’ve been up to this week.
Tuesday was kind of like our typical day overall. We went out for dinner at Applebee’s and then to the grocery story to start getting some thing for when people get here for Thanksgiving. By the time we got home, it was unload and put away groceries before bath, bottle, and then bed. I stayed up to have some more “me” time, but I honestly stayed up because I needed to cook up some meat for next week. I managed to get one meal cooked and frozen.
Wednesday is our typical date afternoon, however we were going to pass this week because of everything we were trying to get done. After thinking about it for a while, I decided it might be a good idea if we ran to Sam’s and did a couple other errands Jr free. Knowing that Tina really wanted to watch him for a little bit, I shot her a text and she was all over it. Jr really loves when Tina comes over and the sight of them rocking together when we got home made my heart melt. It was just a reminder to me of how precious our little boy truly is and how amazing our God is to have created all of this. I hadn’t been to Sam’s in a long time, so we definitely loaded up for the holidays. Annie just watched in ah as A and I carried in boxes of corn, tp, paper towels, cereal, etc, etc. It was so funny because she told me, “I don’t think you need to go to the grocery store for a looooooooooong time!” Kids will tell you like it is! Gotta love ‘em! Yet again it was another busy evening and night. I stayed up late again to cook another meal for next week. I’ve been trying to get everything cooked (our dinner meals) for next week so we don’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and can just enjoy everyone’s company.
Thursday we had bible study at our house. Jr got to see Georgia (his playmate), who is so much littler than him now. She just stares at him every time they’re together, but Jr could really care less. He would occasionally look at her, but was mainly fixated on everyone walking around and talking. He’s funny because he’s such a talker unless we’re in a big group of people, then he’ll just look around and will hardly say a word. Bible study was great and definitely something I needed this week. It always helps me to ground myself and take time for God. Most of Thursday evening turned into troubleshooting our Internet and kid. Jr had a good morning, but rough afternoon and was ready for his bath, bottle and bed by the end of the day. We’ve been trying to work on his naps, but I really think he’s still hungry which makes him wake up early. I’ve learned so much about myself and have really grown into a young confident mother over the past 17 weeks. Parenting is such a learning job each and every day. It’s one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, but yet probably the most rewarding job ever. Whenever I get frustrated or down I just look at my precious blessing from God and remember just how fortunate we are to have Jr. He always gets an extra squeeze and kiss then! And yes God gets many thanks then too! Luckily I didn't have to stay up late to cook a meal, because I was able to get it done during the day! I can't believe I got all our meals made and frozen, except for one!
Friday was full of one last run to the store, fixing our internet, cleaning the house a little, laundry, pretty much the usual things we had to do to ready for company. Vic came out and tried to fix our Internet. He was here for 2 hrs and still couldn’t figure it out. But long behold after 2 different routers and I don’t know how many hours later of trying to fix this thing, the computer Gods finally came through and I got us Internet late that night.
It always seems like everything just starts to pile onto each other all at one time. First it was Jr waking up early from his naps, then a mouse in our house (oh wait, make it 3! I don’t even want to talk about it), the internet goes out, I have another sore throat, Jr not pooping right, and well yes I could go on, but it’s not worth it. All I can say is that I’m so happy the holidays are here and I get to see my niece and nephew today and that Jr finally gets to meet some of his cousins! Keri and John should be here by 11:00ish today.
Jr side note:
-The cold/sniffles have completely gone away! Thank goodness. So we’ve yet to experience a full-blown cold.
-Loves to spend time with Grandma Tina and watching them snuggle together makes mom’s heart melt.
-Has been waking up 30-45 min into his naps. However after doing some ready last night I think A & I have finally figured out what is going on. We decided to feed him a bottle at every feeding except for his last feeding, of which I will nurse him and give him a bottle at the end if he wishes. We still want him to nurse sometimes, but nursing along I don’t think he gets enough and even though we try to give him a bottle at the end he usually won’t take it. So we’ve decided its time to make sure he’s getting enough to eat and then he will hopefully stop waking up during his sleep cycle. Thank goodness he continues to be a champ at night and sleeps 8:30-8:00. I really hope this works. The fun thing (and not so fun thing at times) of being a parent is the trial and error part. I guess we will see.
-Jr hasn't been pooping like normal, so we've had to use a suppository to help him out. I feel sorry for the little guy because you can see him just straining and pushing with all he has. Poor lil fellow has had a lot of gas lately too. We go in Tuesday for his 4 month check up, hopefully he's back to his regular self before then.
“[Thanksgiving] I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge—”- 1 Corinthians 1:4-5
Monday, November 16, 2009
Me time, A lil cold, Holding a spoon, 16 wk highlights
Finally some "me" time. I've definitely needed some me time to get some things done without any distractions. So here I am enjoying a late night catching up on emails, my blog, pics, etc.etc. It continues to be a whirlwind around the Carriker home and with the holidays approaching I can only imagine how fast these next two months are going to fly bye. A's side of the family is coming this weekend and into next week for Thanksgiving. It's going to be so much fun to have family here and see all the cousins together. We plan on having some of my family out during New Year's. I really do love the holidays and spending time with family.
So Saturday night A and I stayed up until midnight! We were just trying to get some things done that we couldn't get done during the day, due to Jr's lack up sleeping during his nap times. Sunday night we stayed up late again, for the same reason as Saturday. And yet here I am again tonight staying up late. I'm kind of getting used to this; probably not a good thing considering I still get up at the same time. Nonetheless, I do enjoy having some down time and if it falls late at night, so be it! Just part of being a parent!
Jr was a little fussy and stuffy Saturday night and woke up Sunday with what sounded like a little cold. He was a little congested, sneezing, and coughing. Luckily he hasn't ran a fever or anything, just seems a little plugged up. Monday (Today) I decided to take him into the dr; I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to things like this, especially considering everything that is going around. The dr just said to make sure he doesn't spike a temp and watch him closely where there is a lot of nasty stuff going around. Jr sounded a lot better this afternoon and evening, so maybe he's fighting it off and it'll be completely gone soon.
Today I talked to Amy about Jr's naps. After going through everything, we came to conclude a couple things about why he wakes up 30 mins into his naps. First off I think he's just developed a habit and it's just something we need to break now. The other thing I think that contributes to him waking up is he's still hungry. We ran into this same problem when he was like 5 wks or so (I think) and he simply wasn't getting enough to eat. He acts full at the end of his feedings, but maybe getting something heavier in his stomach will help. So we decided to mix some cereal into his baby food and see if that would help fill him up a little more. It seemed to help tonight, he wasn't as fussy. We mix in cereal at his 12 and 4 feeding. He drinks and eats like a champ, which is very clear given he weighed 16 lbs today at the dr's. I can't believe he's put on 10 lbs already. Although I don't workout right now, I do get my mommy workout in daily. Lifting and squatting with him all day is giving me great mommy muscles!
Jr is a really happy baby and loves to play games with mommy and daddy. He rarely wants to play by himself and would definitely prefer someone playing with him and/or paying attention to him. The other night I was playing a game with him in his high chair and I don't think he could have laughed any harder or smiled any bigger the whole time. It was awesome and it was definitely my mommy pay check for the day! Despite all the little bumps (and yes the big ones too) you have along the parenting road, when you sit and hold your child who looks at you and gives you the sweetest smile....it is then that your world is complete and you remember the endless rewards of being a parent! I love being able to watch Jr grow daily. I can't even begin to count the number of times that A & I will be playing with Jr and I just stop to give thanks for everything I've been blessed with. Most of all I give thanks for a wonderful, loving, and amazing husband and a healthy and happy son who is simply incredible! God is truly great!
And so the milestones continue: Sunday morning I was feeding Jr and decided to give him a spoon too to see what he would do. He took it straight to his mouth! I couldn't believe it. Luckily I had grabbed the camera in hopes that he would do something like this, but thinking that he'd just drop it or do something with it besides what he did. But to my surprise he brought it right to his mouth. It was so neat and I ran to wake up A so he could see what Jr was doing. Today I put a little food on there, just so he doesn't get disappointed that there's nothing on his spoon. It kind of got everywhere, but that's the fun of learning how to eat!!! Another mommy paycheck!
16 wk highlights:
-Started eating squash this wk. Out of the 3 veggies we've tried so far, seemed to like this the best. Eats 4 tbsp of veggies/day at 3 feedings. Just started adding a little cereal to his baby food. He really seems to enjoy it.
-Got to swing at the park for the first time. Loved going on a walk to the park and seemed to really enjoy being in the swing.
-Holds his shoulders and head off the ground really well. We've really noticed his strength this week. He's getting close to rolling over, but isn't quite there yet.
-Loves to breastfeed. He definitely prefers it over the bottle. Gets a bottle after each feeding just to make sure he's full (because he drains me really well, usually only leaves an oz total) and for his last feeding we give him a bottle. Although I think we might have to change this, because he'd rather nurse than take the bottle.
-Goes to bed at 8:30 now and sleeps till 8:00.
-Is out of all of his 3 month clothes (we actually cleaned out the closet last wk). Mainly wears 6-9 month cloths in most brands.
-Has been fussy this week. He's still a very happy baby, but getting back into a routine and trying to tackle the morning and afternoon nap have made for a long week. Finally tonight (after doing eating some cereal and getting his cold cleared up a little) he's been the happiest he's been in a week.
-Experienced first very minor cold. I don't even know if it can be considered a cold, but he's definitely been stuffy and has some crud in his throat.
-Can hold a spoon and bring it to his mouth!
-Weighs 16 lbs!
-Started giving him his snuggle puppy when it's nap time. He seems to kind of like it or at least chew on the ear!
-Laughs and talks all the time. Says what sounds like "Hi!" We were at the dr office playing with his phone and it said, "Hello," he then said, "Hi!" I think the dr about fell out of his chair when he heard Jr. It was great!
-Loves to look in the mirror and talk to the "other baby!"
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. -Ephesians 4:32
So Saturday night A and I stayed up until midnight! We were just trying to get some things done that we couldn't get done during the day, due to Jr's lack up sleeping during his nap times. Sunday night we stayed up late again, for the same reason as Saturday. And yet here I am again tonight staying up late. I'm kind of getting used to this; probably not a good thing considering I still get up at the same time. Nonetheless, I do enjoy having some down time and if it falls late at night, so be it! Just part of being a parent!
Jr was a little fussy and stuffy Saturday night and woke up Sunday with what sounded like a little cold. He was a little congested, sneezing, and coughing. Luckily he hasn't ran a fever or anything, just seems a little plugged up. Monday (Today) I decided to take him into the dr; I'd rather be safe than sorry when it comes to things like this, especially considering everything that is going around. The dr just said to make sure he doesn't spike a temp and watch him closely where there is a lot of nasty stuff going around. Jr sounded a lot better this afternoon and evening, so maybe he's fighting it off and it'll be completely gone soon.
Today I talked to Amy about Jr's naps. After going through everything, we came to conclude a couple things about why he wakes up 30 mins into his naps. First off I think he's just developed a habit and it's just something we need to break now. The other thing I think that contributes to him waking up is he's still hungry. We ran into this same problem when he was like 5 wks or so (I think) and he simply wasn't getting enough to eat. He acts full at the end of his feedings, but maybe getting something heavier in his stomach will help. So we decided to mix some cereal into his baby food and see if that would help fill him up a little more. It seemed to help tonight, he wasn't as fussy. We mix in cereal at his 12 and 4 feeding. He drinks and eats like a champ, which is very clear given he weighed 16 lbs today at the dr's. I can't believe he's put on 10 lbs already. Although I don't workout right now, I do get my mommy workout in daily. Lifting and squatting with him all day is giving me great mommy muscles!
Jr is a really happy baby and loves to play games with mommy and daddy. He rarely wants to play by himself and would definitely prefer someone playing with him and/or paying attention to him. The other night I was playing a game with him in his high chair and I don't think he could have laughed any harder or smiled any bigger the whole time. It was awesome and it was definitely my mommy pay check for the day! Despite all the little bumps (and yes the big ones too) you have along the parenting road, when you sit and hold your child who looks at you and gives you the sweetest smile....it is then that your world is complete and you remember the endless rewards of being a parent! I love being able to watch Jr grow daily. I can't even begin to count the number of times that A & I will be playing with Jr and I just stop to give thanks for everything I've been blessed with. Most of all I give thanks for a wonderful, loving, and amazing husband and a healthy and happy son who is simply incredible! God is truly great!
And so the milestones continue: Sunday morning I was feeding Jr and decided to give him a spoon too to see what he would do. He took it straight to his mouth! I couldn't believe it. Luckily I had grabbed the camera in hopes that he would do something like this, but thinking that he'd just drop it or do something with it besides what he did. But to my surprise he brought it right to his mouth. It was so neat and I ran to wake up A so he could see what Jr was doing. Today I put a little food on there, just so he doesn't get disappointed that there's nothing on his spoon. It kind of got everywhere, but that's the fun of learning how to eat!!! Another mommy paycheck!
16 wk highlights:
-Started eating squash this wk. Out of the 3 veggies we've tried so far, seemed to like this the best. Eats 4 tbsp of veggies/day at 3 feedings. Just started adding a little cereal to his baby food. He really seems to enjoy it.
-Got to swing at the park for the first time. Loved going on a walk to the park and seemed to really enjoy being in the swing.
-Holds his shoulders and head off the ground really well. We've really noticed his strength this week. He's getting close to rolling over, but isn't quite there yet.
-Loves to breastfeed. He definitely prefers it over the bottle. Gets a bottle after each feeding just to make sure he's full (because he drains me really well, usually only leaves an oz total) and for his last feeding we give him a bottle. Although I think we might have to change this, because he'd rather nurse than take the bottle.
-Goes to bed at 8:30 now and sleeps till 8:00.
-Is out of all of his 3 month clothes (we actually cleaned out the closet last wk). Mainly wears 6-9 month cloths in most brands.
-Has been fussy this week. He's still a very happy baby, but getting back into a routine and trying to tackle the morning and afternoon nap have made for a long week. Finally tonight (after doing eating some cereal and getting his cold cleared up a little) he's been the happiest he's been in a week.
-Experienced first very minor cold. I don't even know if it can be considered a cold, but he's definitely been stuffy and has some crud in his throat.
-Can hold a spoon and bring it to his mouth!
-Weighs 16 lbs!
-Started giving him his snuggle puppy when it's nap time. He seems to kind of like it or at least chew on the ear!
-Laughs and talks all the time. Says what sounds like "Hi!" We were at the dr office playing with his phone and it said, "Hello," he then said, "Hi!" I think the dr about fell out of his chair when he heard Jr. It was great!
-Loves to look in the mirror and talk to the "other baby!"
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. -Ephesians 4:32
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Parking it & Jr fussy
Wednesday A & I went out for lunch at Longhorn and then went to "Law abiding citizen." It was a very tasty lunch, really good movie and overall a awesome date afternoon. I love that we take the time each week to be just "us." Jr did great with Shannon, but of course was happy to see Mommy (okay so maybe it was more Mommy was happy to see Jr). Today we moved up Jr's last feeding schedule and when he goes to bed. We used to do his bath at 7:40, his bottle a little before 8:00, and then put down for bed around 9:00. Now we give him his bath at 7:15, his bottle at 7:30, and then bed around 8:30. We decided to do this because he's a little more fussy in the evening and he still sleeps till 8:00 AM no matter when you put him down; it also allows us to be in bed earlier too.
Thursday I decided to "park" it for the day. I really just needed a laid back day and to just take it easy. I didn't hustle around the house trying to get everything done; I just decided to take a moment to breath and enjoy all that God has blessed me with. It's so easy to get caught up in everything life throws at you, but it's just as important to take the time to enjoy life. Today just seemed like the perfect day to put my life in park. I couldn't go to bible study because our escalade was in the shop getting fixed, so after A got home and Jr was fed, we all (including the dog) went for a walk. We walked to the park, where Jr got to swing for the first time. He fit perfect in the swing and seemed to enjoy it. Luckily I had brought the camera and was able to capture this fun family time. Overall it was a great day and much needed day for me personally. I feel like I'm always going and that I often miss the little things in life that bring a smile to my face. God has been amazing in my life and has truly blessed me with so much. I can't help but give thanks each and everyday for all the blessings in my life; I give Him all the glory!
Friday it was back to work (as if I really had a complete day off)! I cleaned the whole house from top to bottom. I started in the basement and went room to room, while Jr was taking his morning nap. I was able to get everything dusted, but didn't have time to vacuum/swifter, so my wonderful husband did the dirty job for me later that evening. I was able to get some of the upstairs done before mommy duty called. Nonetheless, I was still trying to clean at 6, but I did end up getting almost everything done (thanks to a lot of help by A). We rearranged our hearth and sun room. Both A and I really like having the couch and rocker in the sun room and our table and chairs in the hearth room. For some reason Rambo really seems to like this arrangement too! A loves it because he can watch 2 TVs at once; such a true man! He loved it come Saturday when he could watch 4 different football games at once.
Saturday (Today) we watched the Huskers beat KU! Jenna brought by some cookies, which A and I have done a number on. We took it kind of easy around the house today and are working on Jr getting back into his good nap routine.
Jr has been really fussy this week. He's probably not even been that bad compared to most babies, but this is completely out of the ordinary for him. During both his naps during the day he wakes up after 30-40 mins and is ready to be picked up. He rarely falls back to sleep, which makes him really fussy at night, because he's tired. The parents as teacher lady said he doesn't know how to manipulate mom and dad until 6 months, but I disagree. Jr knows that if he cries, mom will come get him and life will be all good. He always greets me with a smile in his crib when I come to get him. I wish he would go back to his normal napping schedule, but I think it's just going to take a lot of time and patience to get him back on track. This afternoon I went and got him, but was able to get him to fall back to sleep for the rest of his nap. He's been a lot better this evening, which clarifies to me that we're not getting long enough naps during the day. Nonetheless, parenting is all about trial and error and together we'll all figure it out!
Other than the fussiness this week, Jr is doing great. He's truly growing like a McBride and Carriker! He's getting so strong and is really raising his head high and looking around when he's on his tummy. We started squash on Wednesday. I think he enjoys it the best out of everything. A tells me I say this about everything he eats, which is probably true since its a new taste it probably becomes his favorite food to eat then. Jr's toothless smile and cute giggle melts my heart every time.
“For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”-1 Peter 2: 15-16
Thursday I decided to "park" it for the day. I really just needed a laid back day and to just take it easy. I didn't hustle around the house trying to get everything done; I just decided to take a moment to breath and enjoy all that God has blessed me with. It's so easy to get caught up in everything life throws at you, but it's just as important to take the time to enjoy life. Today just seemed like the perfect day to put my life in park. I couldn't go to bible study because our escalade was in the shop getting fixed, so after A got home and Jr was fed, we all (including the dog) went for a walk. We walked to the park, where Jr got to swing for the first time. He fit perfect in the swing and seemed to enjoy it. Luckily I had brought the camera and was able to capture this fun family time. Overall it was a great day and much needed day for me personally. I feel like I'm always going and that I often miss the little things in life that bring a smile to my face. God has been amazing in my life and has truly blessed me with so much. I can't help but give thanks each and everyday for all the blessings in my life; I give Him all the glory!
Friday it was back to work (as if I really had a complete day off)! I cleaned the whole house from top to bottom. I started in the basement and went room to room, while Jr was taking his morning nap. I was able to get everything dusted, but didn't have time to vacuum/swifter, so my wonderful husband did the dirty job for me later that evening. I was able to get some of the upstairs done before mommy duty called. Nonetheless, I was still trying to clean at 6, but I did end up getting almost everything done (thanks to a lot of help by A). We rearranged our hearth and sun room. Both A and I really like having the couch and rocker in the sun room and our table and chairs in the hearth room. For some reason Rambo really seems to like this arrangement too! A loves it because he can watch 2 TVs at once; such a true man! He loved it come Saturday when he could watch 4 different football games at once.
Saturday (Today) we watched the Huskers beat KU! Jenna brought by some cookies, which A and I have done a number on. We took it kind of easy around the house today and are working on Jr getting back into his good nap routine.
Jr has been really fussy this week. He's probably not even been that bad compared to most babies, but this is completely out of the ordinary for him. During both his naps during the day he wakes up after 30-40 mins and is ready to be picked up. He rarely falls back to sleep, which makes him really fussy at night, because he's tired. The parents as teacher lady said he doesn't know how to manipulate mom and dad until 6 months, but I disagree. Jr knows that if he cries, mom will come get him and life will be all good. He always greets me with a smile in his crib when I come to get him. I wish he would go back to his normal napping schedule, but I think it's just going to take a lot of time and patience to get him back on track. This afternoon I went and got him, but was able to get him to fall back to sleep for the rest of his nap. He's been a lot better this evening, which clarifies to me that we're not getting long enough naps during the day. Nonetheless, parenting is all about trial and error and together we'll all figure it out!
Other than the fussiness this week, Jr is doing great. He's truly growing like a McBride and Carriker! He's getting so strong and is really raising his head high and looking around when he's on his tummy. We started squash on Wednesday. I think he enjoys it the best out of everything. A tells me I say this about everything he eats, which is probably true since its a new taste it probably becomes his favorite food to eat then. Jr's toothless smile and cute giggle melts my heart every time.
“For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”-1 Peter 2: 15-16
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Nebraska trip & 15 wk highlights
Time to breath....I think we've tried to squeeze 25 hrs out of 24 hr days this past week. It was a great trip back to good 'ol Nebraska, but it's nice to be home and have the baby back into his own environment. So here's a quick recap of everything we did this past week.
Wednesday: After a busy morning full of workouts, rehab, dropping dog off, loading the car, etc.etc., we were off to the airport. Jr had mom and dad worried a little when he was fussy before we took off, but he did great on the flight. Everybody is always impressed with how well he does on the airplane; what a true blessing! PJ picked us up from the airport and off to Huhot we headed to meet up with Sam, Tami, Ty, Jen, Kit, and Megan. It was so nice to visit with friends and show off Jr! He did pretty good, but was ready to leave by the end. We checked into our hotel and headed to bed early knowing the whirlwind was just beginning.
Thursday: We headed to Aurora to meet Jr's Great Grandma and Grandpa for the first time! We arrived just in time to head to the Senior Citizen Center for lunch. Jr did great and was a hit with all the old people! Grandma Carriker was in 'ah' of Jr and loved to just look at him. As Jr and I watched them play cards, Grandma Carriker leaned over and said, "Let me hold that baby!" There was just something in her eye that twinkled anytime she looked at him and held him. It truly made my day to see her light up inside. Jr really took to Grandpa Carriker and really liked being held by him. We headed back to Lincoln to meet up with Jeff and Dusty at Rib Ranch for dinner. Jr started to scream and cry from the time we got off the interstate at Lincoln till we arrived at Rib Ranch. It was terrible; we couldn't do anything for him and he stopped crying the instant we took him out of his car seat. Rib Ranch is no longer Rib Ranch, it is now Parker's BBQ. Same menu and all, but something was just different about it; not quite as good. Of course we had to get some TCBY to top our whole evening off. It was delicious! After a quick, but great dinner/dessert and visit we headed back to the Holiday Inn in Omaha. As soon as baby was bathed and fed, it was lights out for all of us.
Friday: My parents got in late Thursday evening and were ready to see their grandson come morning. My mom offered to do his morning feeding, which allowed me to sleep in a bit and get ready while he ate. Oh, so nice! My dad, A, and I grabbed a quick breakfast before meeting with our tax lady, while my mom babysat Jr. After our quick meeting, A was off to Lincoln to do some work and my parents, Jr, and I met PJ for lunch and then headed to see Grandma. Grandma had surgery Tuesday and was in the ICU when we went to see her. It was really tough to see my Grandma in the condition she was in, but she's been a fighter through all of this and continues to fight for her life (royally). She couldn't talk to us, but would nod/shake her head in response to yes and no questions. The ICU nurse said she looked great and was doing really well. I really pray she can pull through all of this and be back to her old self soon. Grandma later wrote on her note pad to Bill and Nancy that she had, "Saw the baby. Baby is cute." Jr did great the whole time we were visiting Grandma. It was almost like he knew he needed to behave while we were there. We stopped by Kohl's on our way back to the hotel, but only had time to grab a couple frames (for A and Grandma) and a play phone for Jr. My mom found this phone that lights up and plays music; Jr seems to love it and it's definitely a favorite toy. Later that night A, Jr, and I went swimming at the CocoKey Resort in our hotel. Jr played in the baby pool, well actually A held Jr in the pool and they played. A would go to put Jr's feet down on the bottom of the pool and Jr would just raise his legs until he could feel the bottom and then he'd put them down. After about 10 minutes my mom took Jr and we headed to the big slides. My parents visited with Bill and Nancy while we played in the water park. A & I had a great time and it was almost like a mini-date. After the water park we went and ate with PJ, Shan, Bill, Nancy, Mom, and Dad at a Mexican restaurant. We asked for a glass of hot water to heat Jr's bottle up in, but somehow ended up with them putting the water in the bottle; interesting to say the least. After dinner, it was bath-bottle-then bed for Jr along with us following quickly after.
Saturday: Went and saw Grandma again. My mom stayed with Jr in the pickup, while A, dad and I went up to see her. I think she really enjoyed the fact that we came by again to see her and this time A was with us. Ty and Jacob finally got to meet! Cass brought Ty down to our room, so our boys could meet. It was fun having them together and it's so weird to think of us as both moms. Wow, how our lives have changed from when I first met her in the swimming pool. A had to go do another signing thing in Omaha, so why he did that we met up with Carol and Alan for lunch at Perkin's. It was great to see/visit them and Jr couldn't have been happier when being held by both of them. After our lunch, it was off to Lincoln for some tailgating and Big Red football. My parents went to church and dropped me off at the tailgate. Jr had eaten half his bottle already and I finished feeding him when I got to the pickup. I was trying to heat up the other bottle, but Jr did not have the patience to wait for it to get warm and he was getting to flustered to nurse. So mommy had to deal with the result of a crying baby who just wanted food. Uncle Bill came to the rescue and heated the milk on top of the brisket. When he finally gave me the bottle, it smelled like meat and BBQ. Oh what Jr must have been thinking when he was drinking from his "meat smelling" bottle?! Some family and friends of mine stopped by the tailgate and met Jr for the first time. It was great tailgate with family and friends, but come evening Jr and mommy were ready to go back to Omaha. Once my mom got there (from shopping), we headed to the pickup in hopes of making it back to Omaha at a good time. Jr threw a fit about 2 minutes before getting to the pickup. It was the same thing that had happened at the tailgate. He wanted food and he wanted it now! While my mom calmed him down, I sat and pumped in the back seat. After Jr was feed we headed back to Omaha. We listened to part of the game on the radio and watched the rest on TV when we finally got back. Nebraska pulled off a huge upset against OU (10-3) and the boys seemed to have a great time at the game. PJ, Dad, and A all got to sit in a box on the 50 yard line! A got to see a lot of people and it's all the guys could talk about for the next couple days! It was a great (and much needed) win for the Huskers!
Sunday: We met Ty, Cass, and Jared for breakfast at our hotel. It was great to sit and visit with them and talk about this crazy thing called parenting. After breakfast we had a play date and took a ton of photos of the babies and us. It was so much fun seeing them interact with each other, well as much as a 10 and 15 wk old baby can at least. Ty is a very laid back baby and was calm as could be the whole time. Jr on the other hand was a wiggle worm. It's fun seeing their different personalities come through and I can only imagine what they'll be like in a year. Jr was a mover from the beginning and continues to move nonstop. Watch out world when Jr can walk, he's going to be gone like a lightening bolt. After a great morning with great friends, it was off to the water park for a couple more slide rides before we had to leave. PJ, Shan, mom, dad, and us went to TJ's for lunch and DQ for dessert. Mom and dad took us to the airport, where it was check in and get through security before our plane left. Jr once again did great on the flight, but was definitely ready to be home by the end of this trip. A two yr old lil girl cried the whole time we were up in the air and stopped the instant we landed. I (along with anyone who has kids) felt sorry for the parents, who could not do anything to make her stop crying. A leaned over to me and whispered if that was Jr, "We would not fly!" It was so great to walk into our house and be home sweet home!
Monday: Monday was full of unpacking, doing loads of laundry, catching up on bills/mail, cleaning the house, and trying to get a baby back into a good routine. Jr was fussy almost all day long. This is so out of the ordinary for him and I know it was just from traveling and now trying to getting back into a routine.
Tuesday: Jr turned 16 wks! I can't believe how fast time has flown bye. We went out for breakfast and then our day was full of getting a lot of things done. We got our new bed delivered, along with our new queen, some guys came out to fix our escalade, our new bed got moved into A's tent, grocery store run, and just doing the usual day to day things. Jr was fussy in the evening, but had a pretty good day overall. Today was the first time I nursed him all day long. Starting Monday I started nursing him a little at each feeding and by the third feeding of the day he had it down pat, again. I always give him a little in a bottle at the end to make sure he gets enough. It's nice to be able to nurse him again (so convenient) and I really love the bonding experience we get experience.
Wednesday (Today): So far has been a busy morning trying to get our escalade fixed, doing household duties, and trying to finish my blog. A and I are going on our date this afternoon; I can't wait to get away for a couple hours.
Grandma Update: They've moved her out of ICU and she seems to be improving each day. They removed some tubes from her neck and she's starting to write more things down on her note pad. As I was lying in bed last night all I could think about was the fact that her birthday is on Thanksgiving this year and how she won't be able to eat a holiday feast and cake/ice cream. It made me really think about my own life and how I will never take advantage of being able to enjoy a holiday feast and cake/ice cream again, because you never know when you won't be able to enjoy it. She can now have mail, flowers, cards, etc delivered to her room, so Jr and I are putting together a little collage for her to hang in her room.
15 wk Highlights:
-Continues to sleep 9-8! Even on our trip to NE, he kept his same sleeping pattern!
-Discovered that he can scream (both happy and mad screams).
-Discovered he has 10 toes. He just realized he has feet and loves to stare at them. This is fun when we're trying to take a pic and all he wants to do is look at is his feet.
-Jr is trying to sit up. If you put him in a chair, he'll try (and usually successfully) brings his head and torso up and does some what of a crunch. So much for being able to leave him anywhere now days. He'll even fight you if you try to lie him back. Oh how our little boy is growing in so many ways.
-Traveled on a airplane for the 3rd and 4th time. He did great on both flights and is really a good traveler for us.
-Went to Nebraska for the first time.
-Met Great Grandma & Grandpa Carriker. Jr really took to Grandpa and enjoyed being held by him. Grandma insisted she needed to "Hold that boy!" It was a great visit with them and I'm really happy they got to meet their great grandson.
-Met Great Grandma McBride. She was in ICU and couldn't talk to us, but later wrote a note that said, "Saw the baby. Baby is cute!" She agreed with me (and everybody else) that Jr looks like A.
-Went in a swimming pool for the first time. Daddy and Jr played in the water, while mommy took pics. Jr didn't quite know what to think of the water and would lift his feet and legs up in the water, until he could touch the bottom, then he'd put them down.
-Went tailgating with Mommy and Daddy. Wore a Nebraska outfit and Husker shoes (that Daddy had just bought him). Jr did fairly well, but did not like when the band started to play. Uncle Bill came to the rescue of heating the rest of Jr's bottle up on top of the brisket.
-Met Uncle Jared, Aunt Cass and their precious baby boy Tyler. Ty was so laid back and hardly moved at all. Jr on the other hand moves non-stop, even when he's sleeping. I can only imagine how fun this is going to be when he's mobile.
-Eats 35-40 oz of breast milk per day. Along with 4 tablespoons of carrots.
-Successfully started nursing at all feedings. Is fed both by bottle and breast, but only breast milk.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”-Ephesians 2: 8-9
Wednesday: After a busy morning full of workouts, rehab, dropping dog off, loading the car, etc.etc., we were off to the airport. Jr had mom and dad worried a little when he was fussy before we took off, but he did great on the flight. Everybody is always impressed with how well he does on the airplane; what a true blessing! PJ picked us up from the airport and off to Huhot we headed to meet up with Sam, Tami, Ty, Jen, Kit, and Megan. It was so nice to visit with friends and show off Jr! He did pretty good, but was ready to leave by the end. We checked into our hotel and headed to bed early knowing the whirlwind was just beginning.
Thursday: We headed to Aurora to meet Jr's Great Grandma and Grandpa for the first time! We arrived just in time to head to the Senior Citizen Center for lunch. Jr did great and was a hit with all the old people! Grandma Carriker was in 'ah' of Jr and loved to just look at him. As Jr and I watched them play cards, Grandma Carriker leaned over and said, "Let me hold that baby!" There was just something in her eye that twinkled anytime she looked at him and held him. It truly made my day to see her light up inside. Jr really took to Grandpa Carriker and really liked being held by him. We headed back to Lincoln to meet up with Jeff and Dusty at Rib Ranch for dinner. Jr started to scream and cry from the time we got off the interstate at Lincoln till we arrived at Rib Ranch. It was terrible; we couldn't do anything for him and he stopped crying the instant we took him out of his car seat. Rib Ranch is no longer Rib Ranch, it is now Parker's BBQ. Same menu and all, but something was just different about it; not quite as good. Of course we had to get some TCBY to top our whole evening off. It was delicious! After a quick, but great dinner/dessert and visit we headed back to the Holiday Inn in Omaha. As soon as baby was bathed and fed, it was lights out for all of us.
Friday: My parents got in late Thursday evening and were ready to see their grandson come morning. My mom offered to do his morning feeding, which allowed me to sleep in a bit and get ready while he ate. Oh, so nice! My dad, A, and I grabbed a quick breakfast before meeting with our tax lady, while my mom babysat Jr. After our quick meeting, A was off to Lincoln to do some work and my parents, Jr, and I met PJ for lunch and then headed to see Grandma. Grandma had surgery Tuesday and was in the ICU when we went to see her. It was really tough to see my Grandma in the condition she was in, but she's been a fighter through all of this and continues to fight for her life (royally). She couldn't talk to us, but would nod/shake her head in response to yes and no questions. The ICU nurse said she looked great and was doing really well. I really pray she can pull through all of this and be back to her old self soon. Grandma later wrote on her note pad to Bill and Nancy that she had, "Saw the baby. Baby is cute." Jr did great the whole time we were visiting Grandma. It was almost like he knew he needed to behave while we were there. We stopped by Kohl's on our way back to the hotel, but only had time to grab a couple frames (for A and Grandma) and a play phone for Jr. My mom found this phone that lights up and plays music; Jr seems to love it and it's definitely a favorite toy. Later that night A, Jr, and I went swimming at the CocoKey Resort in our hotel. Jr played in the baby pool, well actually A held Jr in the pool and they played. A would go to put Jr's feet down on the bottom of the pool and Jr would just raise his legs until he could feel the bottom and then he'd put them down. After about 10 minutes my mom took Jr and we headed to the big slides. My parents visited with Bill and Nancy while we played in the water park. A & I had a great time and it was almost like a mini-date. After the water park we went and ate with PJ, Shan, Bill, Nancy, Mom, and Dad at a Mexican restaurant. We asked for a glass of hot water to heat Jr's bottle up in, but somehow ended up with them putting the water in the bottle; interesting to say the least. After dinner, it was bath-bottle-then bed for Jr along with us following quickly after.
Saturday: Went and saw Grandma again. My mom stayed with Jr in the pickup, while A, dad and I went up to see her. I think she really enjoyed the fact that we came by again to see her and this time A was with us. Ty and Jacob finally got to meet! Cass brought Ty down to our room, so our boys could meet. It was fun having them together and it's so weird to think of us as both moms. Wow, how our lives have changed from when I first met her in the swimming pool. A had to go do another signing thing in Omaha, so why he did that we met up with Carol and Alan for lunch at Perkin's. It was great to see/visit them and Jr couldn't have been happier when being held by both of them. After our lunch, it was off to Lincoln for some tailgating and Big Red football. My parents went to church and dropped me off at the tailgate. Jr had eaten half his bottle already and I finished feeding him when I got to the pickup. I was trying to heat up the other bottle, but Jr did not have the patience to wait for it to get warm and he was getting to flustered to nurse. So mommy had to deal with the result of a crying baby who just wanted food. Uncle Bill came to the rescue and heated the milk on top of the brisket. When he finally gave me the bottle, it smelled like meat and BBQ. Oh what Jr must have been thinking when he was drinking from his "meat smelling" bottle?! Some family and friends of mine stopped by the tailgate and met Jr for the first time. It was great tailgate with family and friends, but come evening Jr and mommy were ready to go back to Omaha. Once my mom got there (from shopping), we headed to the pickup in hopes of making it back to Omaha at a good time. Jr threw a fit about 2 minutes before getting to the pickup. It was the same thing that had happened at the tailgate. He wanted food and he wanted it now! While my mom calmed him down, I sat and pumped in the back seat. After Jr was feed we headed back to Omaha. We listened to part of the game on the radio and watched the rest on TV when we finally got back. Nebraska pulled off a huge upset against OU (10-3) and the boys seemed to have a great time at the game. PJ, Dad, and A all got to sit in a box on the 50 yard line! A got to see a lot of people and it's all the guys could talk about for the next couple days! It was a great (and much needed) win for the Huskers!
Sunday: We met Ty, Cass, and Jared for breakfast at our hotel. It was great to sit and visit with them and talk about this crazy thing called parenting. After breakfast we had a play date and took a ton of photos of the babies and us. It was so much fun seeing them interact with each other, well as much as a 10 and 15 wk old baby can at least. Ty is a very laid back baby and was calm as could be the whole time. Jr on the other hand was a wiggle worm. It's fun seeing their different personalities come through and I can only imagine what they'll be like in a year. Jr was a mover from the beginning and continues to move nonstop. Watch out world when Jr can walk, he's going to be gone like a lightening bolt. After a great morning with great friends, it was off to the water park for a couple more slide rides before we had to leave. PJ, Shan, mom, dad, and us went to TJ's for lunch and DQ for dessert. Mom and dad took us to the airport, where it was check in and get through security before our plane left. Jr once again did great on the flight, but was definitely ready to be home by the end of this trip. A two yr old lil girl cried the whole time we were up in the air and stopped the instant we landed. I (along with anyone who has kids) felt sorry for the parents, who could not do anything to make her stop crying. A leaned over to me and whispered if that was Jr, "We would not fly!" It was so great to walk into our house and be home sweet home!
Monday: Monday was full of unpacking, doing loads of laundry, catching up on bills/mail, cleaning the house, and trying to get a baby back into a good routine. Jr was fussy almost all day long. This is so out of the ordinary for him and I know it was just from traveling and now trying to getting back into a routine.
Tuesday: Jr turned 16 wks! I can't believe how fast time has flown bye. We went out for breakfast and then our day was full of getting a lot of things done. We got our new bed delivered, along with our new queen, some guys came out to fix our escalade, our new bed got moved into A's tent, grocery store run, and just doing the usual day to day things. Jr was fussy in the evening, but had a pretty good day overall. Today was the first time I nursed him all day long. Starting Monday I started nursing him a little at each feeding and by the third feeding of the day he had it down pat, again. I always give him a little in a bottle at the end to make sure he gets enough. It's nice to be able to nurse him again (so convenient) and I really love the bonding experience we get experience.
Wednesday (Today): So far has been a busy morning trying to get our escalade fixed, doing household duties, and trying to finish my blog. A and I are going on our date this afternoon; I can't wait to get away for a couple hours.
Grandma Update: They've moved her out of ICU and she seems to be improving each day. They removed some tubes from her neck and she's starting to write more things down on her note pad. As I was lying in bed last night all I could think about was the fact that her birthday is on Thanksgiving this year and how she won't be able to eat a holiday feast and cake/ice cream. It made me really think about my own life and how I will never take advantage of being able to enjoy a holiday feast and cake/ice cream again, because you never know when you won't be able to enjoy it. She can now have mail, flowers, cards, etc delivered to her room, so Jr and I are putting together a little collage for her to hang in her room.
15 wk Highlights:
-Continues to sleep 9-8! Even on our trip to NE, he kept his same sleeping pattern!
-Discovered that he can scream (both happy and mad screams).
-Discovered he has 10 toes. He just realized he has feet and loves to stare at them. This is fun when we're trying to take a pic and all he wants to do is look at is his feet.
-Jr is trying to sit up. If you put him in a chair, he'll try (and usually successfully) brings his head and torso up and does some what of a crunch. So much for being able to leave him anywhere now days. He'll even fight you if you try to lie him back. Oh how our little boy is growing in so many ways.
-Traveled on a airplane for the 3rd and 4th time. He did great on both flights and is really a good traveler for us.
-Went to Nebraska for the first time.
-Met Great Grandma & Grandpa Carriker. Jr really took to Grandpa and enjoyed being held by him. Grandma insisted she needed to "Hold that boy!" It was a great visit with them and I'm really happy they got to meet their great grandson.
-Met Great Grandma McBride. She was in ICU and couldn't talk to us, but later wrote a note that said, "Saw the baby. Baby is cute!" She agreed with me (and everybody else) that Jr looks like A.
-Went in a swimming pool for the first time. Daddy and Jr played in the water, while mommy took pics. Jr didn't quite know what to think of the water and would lift his feet and legs up in the water, until he could touch the bottom, then he'd put them down.
-Went tailgating with Mommy and Daddy. Wore a Nebraska outfit and Husker shoes (that Daddy had just bought him). Jr did fairly well, but did not like when the band started to play. Uncle Bill came to the rescue of heating the rest of Jr's bottle up on top of the brisket.
-Met Uncle Jared, Aunt Cass and their precious baby boy Tyler. Ty was so laid back and hardly moved at all. Jr on the other hand moves non-stop, even when he's sleeping. I can only imagine how fun this is going to be when he's mobile.
-Eats 35-40 oz of breast milk per day. Along with 4 tablespoons of carrots.
-Successfully started nursing at all feedings. Is fed both by bottle and breast, but only breast milk.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”-Ephesians 2: 8-9
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