4 Months OLD

Holy cow. Yesterday on the 25th - D became 4 months old! I can't believe how fast time is flying by...
It seems like just yesterday I was panic stricken, hovering over this tiny infant that we were FINALLY getting to bring home from the hospital after a week of hell.

He's a big boy these days...and super happy and chatty. I always heard that from about 4-6 months is the "magic" time for babies. Where they are the happiest and growing and changing, but still pretty immobile. I have to agree. He's just so happy and cute these days. I'm sure I'll enjoy every age - but this is my favorite - even though he's not the teeny tiny he used to be...

It's been hard to be back to work while he's in this phase (and every phase). I feel like every day I pick him up he's bigger. Which - if you see him regularly - you'll know that this is TRUE!

Anywho - Happy 4 Month Birthday D!

Here's a couple recent photos - so you get how big he's gotten!:

D in his bathrobe...very Hefneresque...

D with "twin" Uncle Evan

Oh No, the Big 3-0

That's right...the hubster turned 30 on Saturday. Wowzer.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not the kind of girl that FREAKS over age 30 or even thinks that's old...I'm just traveling back in time in my mind to when I DID think 30 was old...to that 18 year old girl that met 19 year old Dain in her freshman year of college. I remember just wishing back then that I would be with him for the rest of the semester - let alone watching him blow out the candles on his 30th birthday cake while holding our 4 month old son. Some days I can't believe how time has flown...and how lucky I've been to spend every one of Dain's birthdays with him since we met.

So - Happy 30 Dain! You're old. (Oh...oh wow...maybe I do think it's a little old...) :)



Here's the mixed media art that D and I made for Dain for his b-day (that I'm not totally happy with):

Mr. Talker

Just when you thought he couldn't get any cuter...
Yeah - D's a talker now - more than ever!

We got some footage last night after his bath...it looks green because he has a green room with a lamp that has a green shade...



I love it!

Project Crib 2009

So Dain and I thought that THIS would be the weekend we make the big transition to having D sleep in his crib...he's just TOO huge for the bassinet now.
However - I've still just been unsure if the timing is right. AND, I was talking with a friend of mine over lunch the other day who has two little girls - and has been a follower of "Attachment Parenting" since day 1.

I never really knew the definition of Attachment Parenting - but knew the basic concept. However - it's a whole movement based on the teachings of Dr. Sears (actually two of them as it's a husband and his wife, a RN). They wrote the acclaimed "The Baby Book" which takes you through the basics of everything from pregnancy through age two. However - there are separate books based on just Attachment Parenting and Nighttime Parenting which go into these concepts more extensively. (To be fair there are a bunch more books by them including Breastfeeding books, Birth books, Successful Child books, etc)... These are just the two I want! :)
"Is it OK to sleep with your newborn baby? How old is too old for breastfeeding? These questions and more are answered in this latest addition to the Sears Parenting Library. Attachment Parenting encourages early, strong, and sustained attention to the new baby's needs and this book outlines the steps that will create the most lasting bonds between parents and their children. Practical and inspirational, this book, the heart of the Sears' parenting creed, is a necessity for every new parents' bookshelf."

"Parenting is a full-time, twenty-four-hour-a-day job. Nighttime Parenting was written to make that job easier and to help the whole family--mother, father, baby--sleep better. It helps parents understand why babies sleep differently than adults, offers solutions to nighttime problems, and even describes how certain styles of nighttime parenting can aid in child spacing and lower the risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)."

These books are kind of "hippie" in their teachings - - but that's TOTALLY ME. Hello? Have we met?? And, Dain's not the hugest fan of letting D sleep in our bed along with us - but keeping him in the room a little longer is what I think is right for us right now - since he's not really sleeping through the night or even close! I'm borrowing my sisters pack and play and we'll see how that goes for awhile...

Deal with it.

Never Enough Time

Not enough time to blog...
Not enough time with my kid...
Sucko.

Valentiny

Those of you who know me, know that I think that Valentine's Day is the cheesiest crap ever. I just don't buy into the commercial hype just because it's a day when you're supposed to "show" love.
To me, love is more about the everyday, little things...so it was just a coincidence that I got a photo of my two loves today that makes me want to show off...
So blah blah blah Happy Valentine's Day.

Finally Some Good News...

I'm going to be an aunt! Again!

My oldest sister Theresa is preggers with #3 - and here's the photo she sent out:This is great news - and I'm so anxious to meet him or her in September.

This leads me to my newest survey - and soapbox. My niece and nephew in the picture are named Amelia and Adam. Picking the name Adam for my nephew, in my mind, locked up the fact that little baby #3 (they're not finding out the sex) and any subsequent babies would all be named "A" names. I mean, why make the third child (I know about being the third by several years WELL) feel like a total outcast? I told her I was putting it to a blog poll - and will not tolerate ballot stuffing - so vote once. If there's more votes than my last survey...I'll know! She said she'll take the results into consideration. :)

Reggie

I think about a year ago - my brother-in-law Evan adopted a Golden Retriever/Chow mix dog named Reggie. A big, beautiful dog that was so shy but loved one thing more than anything else...Evan.
Reggie would sit and literally stare into Evan's eyes, follow him around the house and sit by the door if he left. He never made a sound and was so grateful for every pat on the head. Dain and I couldn't believe how good this dog was - seeing as that he was only a year and a half old and our older Golden Retriever, Penny, was a FREAK show of energy and did not seem to show us more love than anyone else who might come through the door.
Reggie grew to be more outgoing with other people - but never stopped thinking that the sun rose and set with Evan. It broke your heart to see him at my in-laws when they were dog-sitting and Reggie waited by the door for his best friend Evan to come home. And boy, when Evan did - he would bark in delight!
Yesterday, he unexpectedly passed away at the vets when Evan rushed him in due to seizures. I don't know what happened, and I don't know if anyone does yet. All we know is that the world lost the loviest dog of all time.
I will miss Reggie - and I can't imagine what Evan and Marcy are going through and thinking. But we're all lucky to have met such a good boy...and he was so lucky to have found his best friend Evan.

By Grandma Demand

Not popular demand...GRANDMA demand...although I'm sure it'll be popular.

Here's a new video from last night of D in his exersaucer.
YES he's too little for it really - but he likes to sit in it. As you can see Penny is ultra-curious too!



CUTEST BABY EVER.

Survey Says...

That NO it isn't weird that my babysitter kisses my baby. A whopping 59% of you said so. 13 out of 22 of you. Hmmm.

Yeah yeah yeah - I like that she loves him and that she kisses him. It was just a WHOA moment when I saw her do it right in front of me the first time. I suppose it's a good thing. I just don't want him to like her more than me. :(

So I took the survey down. I will put a new one up soon. I like seeing opinions/results. I like knowing that you all are reading this thing and providing feedback to the crazy lady (AKA me). So thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.

Chatty

Little man has been chatty lately! He's found his voice and now makes noises to us all the time. It's taken him to a whole new level of cute!

Oh yeah - here's some new photos in a few of his sporting hats:

Clothes Horse

D is growing so quickly we can't believe it...and it sounds like many of you can't either.

Here's a little tidbit of news: he's wearing 6 mos. size clothes now! Yep, 3 mos. old and wearing 6 mos. clothing.

We got some stuff in this size group for him when he was born - but everyone thought it'd be Spring/Summer...so some of those things won't work. Needless to say we've been back to Once Upon a Child...and the Geneva children's consignment shop Good Cents. Cute stuff - but I've learned that he doesn't need much more than sleepers - they are the easiest for him, me and the babysitter!

So, I'm well stocked for this size group - - we'll see how the next one goes. It'll probably be tomorrow at the rate he's going :)