We had our first big car trip this weekend to New Jersey. Dan's brother Matt & his wife Laura were baptising their baby, Michael. Alexander did exceptional all weekend. He slept the entire car ride (up & back) and barely made a peep. And down in NJ he was such a good boy. He didn't cry in the church and he also was very quiet at Grandma & Grandpa's house during the afternoon. He did however want to stay up and eat all night so it made for a long night at the hotel but it was expected. We had a nice time visiting with everyone and it was so nice to show Alexander off. Dan was especially excited and almost jumped out of his skin waiting at the church for people to show up! That's a proud papa if I've ever seen one...

Here are some pictures of the weekend.

Here is a very stylish Alexander just before we put on his sweater vest as we were to embark on his first trip to New Jersey for cousin Michael's Christening.

Thanks Auntie Alyson for the outfits - they fit perfectly!

And before we left this morning we had to make sure we got a picture of the two new babies together. Here is Alexander sitting with his cousin Michael! Michael is 5 months older than Alexander and it's amazing how much of a difference there is between their sizes.

This is Alexander posing with Daddy's 9 month old picture, and the resemblance is dead-on.




And then here is a picture of the latest babies in the family. Matt, Laura & Michael with Dan, myself & Alexander

I made it...

If you can read Alexander's tshirt - you'll see that our first date night was successful. I heard that Alexander was such a good boy that I brought him home a present. I'm sure it won't be the first time.

How cute is this shirt and the baby wearing it!!

We went to see Harry Connick Jr at the Wang Center without incident while my parents babysat Alexander.

Harry put on a fantastic show, as always. And although I missed my little boy tremendously I was certainly able to enjoy myself. Plus, it was nice to have a few hours of Dan time.

And while I was snapping a few pictures of Alexander modeling his new shirt, I did manage to capture a true smile! I was so excited that I let out a yelp which then started him. But here is his cute smile!

Week Four: at a Glance along with some Mommy Guilt

Week Four: At a Glance
*Celebrated the Four Week/One Month Milestone with a party with Grammie & Alyson
*Mix of sleeping through the night with nights of waking up constantly wanting to feed
*Smiled a few times, but more when going to the bathroom or when napping
*Still grunting while pooping and now when starting to nurse
*Follows Mommy or Daddy with his eyes and head
*Pushes off with his legs to scoot him up my body or his changing table
*Blows bubbles with his mouth
*Most morning did not take morning nap which made him a bit fussy
*Finally able to enjoy nice weather outside (went out three days in a row)
*Said "Hi"! Both Mommy & Alyson heard this although we know it was just a sound and not the actual word, but it was still cute
*First projectile vomit moment
*Went out for our first walk
*Makes a "waving" motion while nursing
*Got a card from our Delivery Nurse

And now for the dash of Mommy Guilt:
Our baby is only four weeks old and I've already started to have Mommy Guilt. Isn't it too soon for that???? We have tickets to go see Harry Connick Jr tomorrow night and I really really want to go. Afterall, I haven't missed a tour in ten years. But I also really don't want to leave Alexander. I know it'll be good for Dan & I to have a date night, but I don't really feel as though I 'need' it. I also know I'll have a great time at the show but I'll miss him like crazy.

What to do, what to do! I know, I know - Go, enjoy ourselves and suck up the guilt that I have.

Photoshoot Pictures...

As promised here are some pictures of the photoshoot Alyson & I had with Alexander last Friday.

Enjoy

The two baseball teams of Mommy & Daddy

SO BIG!

Here he is hanging out with Grover & Friends

One Month Check-up

We had our One Month Check-up today with Dr. M and everything is incredibly fantastic! Dr. M is very happy with how he looks and what his behaviors have been.

He gained almost a full pound in a little over 2 weeks so that made Dr. M extremely pleased. It shows that he's eating well. This also made Mommy & Daddy happy to know that what we're doing is perfect. Dr. M told us to continue doing what we're doing because it's working.

He now weighs 6 lbs and 13 oz and is 20 1/4" long.

And while we were in the office, Alexander being the best baby that he is, he barely made a peep until it was time to go. By that time, his clothes were off for a bit too long so he was becoming unhappy. Alexander gets an A+ for today!

A very good Doctor visit. We go back for the Two Month Check-up and at that appointment he'll have to get some shots. Maybe Daddy should wait outside for that part of the visit.

Prices just went up...

We received yet another bill for Alexander. Cost for having a baby, especially a boy, just went up!

And unfortunately this was an actual bill versus the other one which was just a statement from my insurance. This time, they billed a few charges under my maiden name so Insurance has originally denied to pay them. We have to have our human resources rep contact them.

Charges:

Newborn Admission: $272
Daily Newborn Care: $160
Daily Newborn Care: $160
Circumcision: $832
Hospital Discharge: $297

For a grand total of $1,721.00

The joys of parenthood...

Happy One Month!

As I previously mentioned, today is Alexander's One Month "Birthday" and Grammie & Auntie Alyson came over to help celebrate. He did, in fact, get a pony! It sounds a bit crazy but it's a pony nonetheless. Thanks Grammie. I probably will not be holding a "party" every month... or at least I hope not as it will take away from the big day!


Alexander hung out with Grammie & Alyson and he was so relaxed that he did nod off a few times. We did yet another photoshoot and we found the perfect photos for his birth announcement! I can't share those photos just yet because it will ruin the surprise!

Let me just say that our adorable kid is just too darn cute, he really is. He doesn't take a bad picture, even when he cries.


But I can share some pictures from the photoshoot that Alyson & I had on Friday since we opted not to use a picture from that. I'll upload those in a separate post as I'll keep this with just pictures from today.

And for the record, we did not pose him like this - he was asleep like this and wouldn't move his arm. He's a thinker even in his sleep.

Pictures!!

Alexander reached his one month 'birthday'. And in honor of that milestone, we're going to celebrate today. Nothing major at all...just a simple cake with Grammie & Aunt Alyson. With his One Month here, I thought I'd share some photos we took the past few days. I'm sure we'll have more from his "party".
Enjoy!



Here he is on Thursday (Four Weeks), I can't get over just how little he looks in newborn clothing. Plus he has the cutest yawn EVER!



Then on Friday, Auntie & I had a little photo shoot with the little guy - showing his love for baseball.

Saturday we plaed with his lilly pad so he could get in some tummy time with the froggies.

And the weather was finally cooperative here so we were able to go out for a walk and enjoy the nice weather!

Weekend Guests

Guess who's coming to visit this weekend??

It's going to be quite interesting in our house...

vs.

Priceless

Cost of Anesthesia for C-Section: $900.00
Cost Room & Board for 5 days: $3,696.67
Cost of Special Services (have no idea what this is): $8,337.43
Cost Well Born Care for a newborn: $889.00
Cost to have a healthy baby home: Pricelss

And that is how much it costs to have a baby in MA. Thank God for health insurance...

Four Weeks

Alexander is Four Weeks old today, not quite a month but Four Weeks. It's gone by so quickly. Maybe Grammie or Grandpa in NJ will get him a pony for his Month Birthday. Haa.

This week has been a very lowkey week and I think the weather has played a very large role in that. We've been hit with a spring-type Nor'easter and have been pummeled with wind & rain. Not ideal for going out. There is not a whole lot to post about because Alexander is doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing. Eating, pooping & sleeping. He may not be sleeping when we would want, but he does sleep. So we can't complain. However there is one thing we can praise & one thing we can complain about. He's very strong. I mean unbelievably strong for a newborn. The strength in his limbs is insane - did you ever think you'd need two adults to hold down a leg so you can finish changing his diaper? He also holds his head up quite a bit.
And for our small complaint... this little guy grunts all the time. I wonder if it's because he's finding his voice. It used to be grunting just when he was going the bathroom, now he grunts all the time. And it's frustrating when he wakes himself up because his grunts are so loud. Oh well.

He has his One Month check-up next week and my only hope is that he's gained the right amount of weight. I'm sure he has because he's been eating well but he just feels little to me. On the plus side, his diaper rash is all but gone, so that makes him & us a bit happier.

Since the sun is out today - we're going to go out and take advantage of it but I'll leave you with some pictures from this week.

Week Four Pictures

As promised here are a few pictures of Alexander from this week.

First off, Alexander showing off his strength in his legs, he was pushing off on Daddy so Daddy thought let's put it to the test. Obviously he wouldn't be able to stand on his own, but he did a good job of not just dangling there. (Doesn't he look like he's saying "What up Yo")












Then we have a very upset baby. Not only did he loose his pacifier (yes, we gave him one) and couldn't find it again, but he was also very hungry and Mom & Dad were not feeding him fast enough.






And once we changed him and gave him back his pacifier he was content for the moment.

Pictures of Alexander

Here are a couple of pictures of little Alexander.

This one was taken last Wednesday (4/11) right before we went out for errands with Grammie. I bought the outfit from The Gap and I fell in love with it, but obviously it's still too big for Alexander. But he's still so cute.

This one is of Alexander asleep Friday morning (4/13). Don't worry he doesn't sleep with blankets up around his face like that - but I was sitting next to him and he looked cute all bundled up for a moment.

This is another picture from Friday when Daddy came home from work. Alexander & Daddy bonded while watching Daddy's favorite show (M*A*S*H). I love how Alexander looks so comfy & cozy on Daddy's chest.

And then here is a sneak peak from our home photo shoot on Wednesday.

It's the little things...

I have been keeping a journal of Alexander and the different events/items of each day since he's been born. I started it while in the hospital and have continued every day. This has been helpful to capture things that happen during the days and allows us to easily look back.

I figured I'd type up a recap of the previous week's happenings...

• Diaper rash bad in the early part of the week but almost gone by Sunday. Having the diaper rash makes him dislike bowel movements or having his diaper changed
• Makes noises as if telling a story and grunts while he's going the bathroom
• Still receiving packages & finally Mommy was able to finish all Thank You cards
• Snores a little when he sleeps
• Watched the Red Sox Home Opener with Mommy
• Started to not take his afternoon nap but will sleep well in the morning
• Ran errands with Grammie on Wednesday and behaved very well (slept the whole time)
• Makes the cutest faces
• Holds his head up a bit
• Has found his thumb a few times
• Received his Social Security card
• Received some of the official hospital pictures (didn't get the whole order)
• Both Daddy & Mommy read Dr. Suess a few times
• Slept well at night in the early part of the week, not so well in the later part of the week
• We introduced a pacificer for a small amount of time on Sunday
• Had our first home-official photo shoot (pictures to come)
• And we used our boppy pillow for the first time which he loved

Week Four

Alexander is Three and a half weeks old... my god that went by fast!
Everything kind of feels like a blur but I wouldn't change any of it. Well, maybe I'd like more sleep but we knew going into this we wouldn't get that.

Since Wednesday, we've been fairly low key around here. That's mainly because Alexander hasn't really wanted to sleep although that's what he needed the most. Daddy set up the mirror in the car so we can see Alexander in the back seat because Mommy & Alexander took our first outing together as Mommy can drive now. We went to Target & CVS just to get out of the house and run a few errands. It was nice to get out and wasn't nearly as worrisome as I thought it would be.

Thursday, Friday & Saturday were long nights, especially Saturday. Thursday & Friday nights he woke up a few times and didn't want to finish the night off in the bassinett. Saturday night was the worst night since we've been home. He really wanted no part of sleeping. He would eat, whimper, eat, cry, poop, and eat some more. But no sleeping.
This made for a cranky Mommy. Thankfully he slept through the night last night and is sleeping well now.

I do have some updated pictures that I'll add shortly but he may be waking right now... Enjoy your day

Happy Hump Day

Dan & I were talking tonight how Alexander will be three weeks old tomorrow! Three weeks! Time really does go by really fast. I still have yet to finish typing out our delivery/hospital events. I've started five different times but get interrupted, but I guess that's Motherhood.

Despite this time warp we live in, we had a good day today

• Grammie came to visit and we did some shopping and ran some errands
• We got in some quality sleep time in the afternoon
• Alexander's official - his social security card arrived in the mail
• We think we witnessed his first true smile - Daddy was making noises at Alexander and he looked up at him and smiled. It was too coincidental to be gas, so we're counting it as his first smile!
• He's even starting to make noises as if he's trying to tell a story (I know he's not actually speaking but work with me people...)

All in all a very nice hump day on the eve of his Three Week "birthday"

Happy 10th...

Today is April 10th.

Six years ago, Dan & I had our first date. We were supposed to meet at Naked Fish after work for a drink. Dan had volleyball that night so it wouldn't be a long drink. The drink turned into 3 hours at the restaurant and Dan, thankfully, skipped volleyball.

Here we are six years later sharing & updating friends & family on our beautifully amazing son. Besides all the money in the world, because who needs that anyway, we have everything we could need now and I know it's because we went on the date six years ago and found our other half.

Happy 10th, Dan

Take Me Out To The Ballgame...

Here's Mommy & Alexander enjoying his first Red Sox home opener baseball game. No, we weren't at the game, we did it from the comfort & warmth of home but it was fun none the less.

I don't know whether it's the fact that Harry Connick Jr was there to sing "America the Beautiful" or that Alexander watched the game wearing his Red Sox shirt but it was probably a mix of both that gave the Sox luck to win the game!

And to keep thing fair, we may just have to get a picture of Daddy & Alexander in a Yankee shirt - although this little boy is not a Yankee fan - until he's old enough to make up his own mind and so chooses Daddy's team.

Happy Easter...

Happy Easter (a day late)... We have celebrated Alexander's first holiday and besides the torture of being made to wear bunny ears, it was a very nice day. We went over my uncle & aunt's house for a low-key Easter dinner. However, before we went over - I had to take a few pictures with the ears. At first, Alexander was content but then it was a different story - he wanted no part of the ears.

Aunt Alyson brought him an outfit that she was hoping he would fit into since he doesn't fit into any of his other clothes and all of the sleeves on preemie clothes are too short on him. It's such a cute outfit too! The onsie was a bit big but the vest fit perfectly. The pants.... well that's a different story - they were swimming on him. But he looked so dashing in his outfit (and something that wasn't pajamas).


Alexander loves the car! He sleeps the entire time he's in the car (which was good because the drive home was long).

I have also discovered that when sleeping the little guy snores occassionally. It's quite cute because he'll even open his eyes yet still snore - interesting. He'll also scoot all around. If you lay him down in one spot, he'll be in a completely different spot 5 minutes later. He can't be still even in his sleep...just like Daddy.

Well it's almost time for Alexander to wake up from him nap ...

Busy like a Bee...

Checking in quickly before we put the little one to bed...it's been a very busy two days.

Yesterday was Alexander's first outing! And what an outing it was. It was also the first day we have left the house in two weeks and Mommy was more than excited! We had my post-op appointment and then we had his 2 week check-up.

I got a clean bill of health and even better news - I'm allowed to drive by the end of this week! WHOOO! We waited for about 30 minutes to be called in, and then once the doctor came in to look at my incision, he took off the tape and then said everything looks great! All that for a matter of minutes. And while we were out and about we decided to stop by my Mom's work since we were done with my appointment sooner than expected. Grammie was excited to be able to show off Alexander to people at work in person rather than through pictures.

Then it was off to his doctor's appointment. This was also a rather quick appointment since everything is going so well. We told Dr. M that he slept through the night on Tuesday and they said he should go into their Hall of Fame. Dr. M checked him out and said that everything looks fantastic. He's now up to 5 pounds 15 ounces, so he's a bit above his birth weight. He also is now 20", but again that's by no means a scientific measure.

He has developed a red bum and now really doesn't like to be changed, but we started to use diaper cream and hopefully he won't have this all the time. However, my mother said that if he is anything like me than the poor little guy's in trouble. Sorry Alexander if I passed along my sensitive skin to you.

Doctor's appointments - A+

After his appointment, we decided to swing by our work (since it's right down the street). It was an unplanned trip so it made it easier to go in unannounced without the pressure of "when are you coming in". Everyone was so excited to meet Alexander and whether they were all just saying it to be nice, they all commented just how cute & perfect he is. And again, I won't argue, well because he is.

Then today we went to Uncle Steve & Aunt Carolyn's house to meet everyone. And it was so nice to go visit because it was relaxing and we were able to spend quality time with them. I think Carolyn fell in love and didn't want to give him up. It was very sweet to see her doting on him. Cousin Chris also seemed to have an extreme fondness for Alexander. Except when it came time to changing his diaper... but don't we all.

After Steve & Carolyn's, we went to the other Uncle Steve's house. We went to go visit Uncle Steve & Aunt Ann and the girls. Skyler was all over Alexander and became territorial. She wouldn't even let Ann hold him. It was very cute.

Tomorrow is the last busy day for a bit, because I think the little one needs a break. Okay, maybe if he doesn't Mommy does. We're going to my Uncle's house for Easter.

I'll add some pictures later as it's getting late... I hope everyone has a Happy Easter!

New Pictures...

The first one is from last night where Alexander has found his thumb! He's been trying to get it into his mouth but finally last night, he did it all by himself.








This one is from Tuesday night where we were just chillin' out on the couch! He just looks so deep in thought, however it was probably just working out a poop.

Cool Gift...

Alexander got his first package in the mail yesterday. It was from Uncle Steve & Aunt Ann.

It's the coolest baseball ever and it even has it's own case so it can't get destroyed.

I think I know the perfect place for it too!

Thanks Uncle Steve, Aunt Ann & the girls...

Two Weeks Old: The Name Game...

In honor of his two week birthday, we're going to play the Name Game. This isn't the same version of the game that Daddy likes to play, it's the updated version we've adapted since Alexander was born.

We've given this poor child several nicknames that I find myself at times purposely saying "Alexander" so I don't forget his name.

Each little nickname was given and I can't seem to shake any of them. Dan has only come up with two, where I have discovered 10. Eghads!

Dan's are: Buddy & dude. Dude is usually when changing his diaper and Alexander will wail as if we're cutting on a limb.*

Mine are: Big Bird, Little Bird, Little Bug, Kid, Googly Eyes, Drama Boy*, Kickie, Peanut, Pum'kin, & Mr. Flibberty Gibbet

The first four of mine are used during feedings because he looks like a bird trying to eat the worms from Mama Bird. I use 'kid' when he's latched wrong and rather than using a bad word I say kid.
Drama Boy is just that - drama. He gets this from his Mom and this side usually comes out during being changed. Kickie & Mr. Flibberty Gibbet are Daddy's side of the genes because he can't stay still. (Mr. Flibberty Gibbet is also a line from the movie Joe Vs the Volcano with Tom Hanks).

Yet another look into the world of Alexander...

A better day...

It's amazing what sleep can do!

Last night, Alexander slept from midnight until he started fussing around 7am. THIS MORNING! He never once fussed during the night to be changed or fed. He must have truly been tuckered out. This also allowed Dan & I to get some quality Zzzzz's. Of course I would wake up occasionally to check on him, but because he was so content I was able to go back to sleep.

And when he woke this morning he was so alert and rested. He didn't even squawk when Daddy changed his diaper (being changed his least favorite thing in the world).

He had some breakfast and now he's napping again. It's rather peaceful here right now. I've cleaned up a bit, and I'm going to start laundry. Ahhh, I feel a bit normal right now. Dan's out being the best husband of the year because he's taking my car to get the windshield replaced. A rock hit it the Wednesday before our c-section.

I'll try to add a couple pics a bit later on, I'm going to grab some breakfast.

Day 12...

Hello World...

We're still here, I promise, just trying to adjust to life as parents. This is the 2nd best thing I've ever done in my life (First was marrying Dan) and I knew it wouldn't be easy, but man, you never realize how much of a challenge it will be trying to get the new life you've brought into this world fully adjusted. I guess we never really become adjusted anyway.

I feel bad typing this because things are not at all horrible. In fact, sometimes I look at our little boy and I think about just how lucky we are. He's healthy - he eats, sleeps & poops. He just does it when he wants to rather when we'd like him to.

We're still trying to figure out this whole schedule thing. When do we feed him, how much, etc? How can we put him down to sleep at night and have him go right to sleep? Because he'll do just that during the day.

Sunday was a rough day (I didn't even turn on the computer). I've taken a picture of him everyday except Sunday. Our schedule was thrown completely off and he was very fussy all day. However, we did manage to get a good 4 1/2 hours of sleep from him while in the bassinet that night so we were very grateful for that!

This morning was a bit rough, but for Mommy & Daddy not for Alexander. I think the fact that the weather has been so crappy and we can't go for a walk along with the fact that I constantly feel as though I either have to feed him or pump made us go a little stir crazy. Dan's been so incredibly fantastic that I would be lost if he went back to work this week. Not only is Dan helping to take care of Alexander, he's doing a majority of the housework, and he is taking care of me. I'm sure this is just as hard on him.

Enough venting... because we're extremely blessed and these are small little bumps in the road of parenthood. With that said - here are a couple pictures from yesterday's first 'bath' at home. He didn't necessarily love it, but he didn't hate it either.