First Fireworks

Tonight our town held it's annual fireworks. These are held over the lake and the High School track which is less than two tenths of a mile from our house. Now normally this is fun because we just have to walk out our door over to the track right before the fireworks start and walk back to our house and not worry about dealing with driving (because our street gets CRAZY-BUSY).

Well this year, it was a bit different in the sense that Alexander is a) here and b) would be sleeping. We decided to pass on going over to see them and just keep with his bedtime routine. We knew that it might be interrupted with the noise of the fireworks. However, we "brought" him anyway. Not really - but we stood on our front yard and took the monitor outside with us.

How he did not wake up from the noise & bangs, I'll never know. But he slept through it all and Daddy got to see fireworks, even if it was through our neighbors trees.

Second week of daycare - Complete...

The second week of daycare is in the books! He did very well & the women at daycare still adore him. He took naps everyday & he was rarely fussy. I'm trying to keep to daycare schedule during the weekends and in fact, he's napping in his swing as I type. I should take advantage of this time and take a shower!

For your viewing pleasure...

Here's the lovely drool-boy before 'school' on Friday. He was playing with his toys & new froggy. I think he looks really good in bright blue.

Even with the drool - he's cute!

This was Thursday night. We did a little tummy time on our lilly pad. He's really good at holding his head up. However, he doesn't want to lie there, he much rather tries to scoot forward. Then he gets annoyed that it's not going fast enough.

Fun at the Races...

This past weekend we went to Chris & Chris' house for the 4th Annual Derby Races. Unfortunately, Dan & I didn't get our act together in time to make our own cars this year so we went to cheer on Chris & Chris. The plan next year is that Alexander will have his own car to race. We just have to remember a head of time.

The following pictures are courtesy of Chris. Chris, I hope you don't mind that I copy & pasted your pictures but silly me didn't take any pictures and it was the first time in the stroller (not the carseat part).

The little guy just woke up from a small nap after a crying like a banshee session in Chris' house.

And then he took another small nap right before we left.

Edible...

Here are a few cute pictures of Alexander from yesterday (June 26th). CMS



The first one was taken in the morning before we left for "school". I just thought his expression was priceless. Almost a "are you really taking my picture? Are you talking to me?"






The the other one was taken when we got home and it was just about time for bed. He started slurping on his hand and wouldn't stop. When he starts slurping, there's no stopping unless you're ready to feed him!

You've Got a Friend...

Finally, after Thirteen & a half Weeks with Grover next to his head everytime Alexander sat in the bobby pillow, he finally took notice of Grover and actually reached out for him.

Once I put Grover in his reach, he grabbed on and wouldn't let go for a bit. He even chewed on his nose. It was quite cute even though Alexander's motive was strictly to put it in his mouth.




Here they are getting to know each other with a friendly hug.

Alexander is about to explain to Grover that it's not personal but he's going to chew on his nose.

Week Thirteen At a Glance...

Week Thirteen: At a Glance (Monday June 18th - Sunday June 24th)


Started daycare (school) this week, with your first full day on Weds

And by Friday night, was congested and phelgmy in the nose. GRR.

• Everyone said you did really well and continue to comment on how cute you are


• Nap well at school which makes us wonder who's child he really is


• Loves playing with the sesame street characters at schools


• Slept through the night a few times during the week, with 10 hours on Saturday night


• Loves hanging out in the snugli & even likes his bumbo seat


• His favorite toys are his baby einstein clips & his froggy, homeboy


• I found that when you clap his hands for him he laughs & smiles


• Eats his hands with a lovely slurping sound
• Pulls on his right ear when nursing


• Had bath time a few times this week and loves to swim. He kicks his legs like a frog


• Went to Chris & Chris' house for his first Derby Race - hopefully next year he'll have his own car


• Went for a walk with Mommy & Daddy on Sunday to a friends house


• Can still go from happy & smiling one minute to annoyed & upset the next and definitely lets you know it - as seen in the pictures
  

Somewhere over the rainbow...

Somewhere over the rainbow... blue birds fly.

This beautiful rainbow was right over our house Friday night.

Now only if this rainbox will bring us a never ending pot of gold.

Oh How I've Grown...

My, oh my - How I've grown

Here I am at One Month:













And here I am at Three Months:

It's evident that I no longer fit like a glove anymore. I'm definitely a big boy as I can sit in Daddy's glove, and not fit my entire body in his glove. I can almost use it like an arm rest now. I've started to fill out and look more like a little boy. I even drool on my shirts. But I'm still the cutest baby.

Three Months!

Alexander is Three Months Old today! I can't believe how quickly it goes by. The fact that he is three months old already and started to feel like a little baby boy rather than a newborn is so exciting.

He's definitely starting to show more of his personality and how he's learning new things.

Developmental:

-He's starting to reach out for objects in front of him
-He is aware of colors and really seems to like red
-He can take his binky out of his mouth with his hand
-He smiles & laughs all the time and his laugh is getting stronger
-He loves the water and swims like a froggy, loves splashing
-He loves bouncing up & down (that makes him laugh)
-He doesn't necessarily love tummy-time, but he holds his head up very well
-He can scoot forward on the floor by pushing off on my hands
-He grunts when he's done with something and he wants to be entertained
-He holds his head up when sitting up for long periods of time but not quite ready to sit up by himself

-He has very strong legs and can hold himself up in a standing position while someone holds him for a bit and then he collapses down and tries to stand back up
Sleeping:
-He's starting to sleep through the night, in his crib. He averages 8 hours a night and then at daycare will take 2-3 naps, sometimes long naps.

Clothes:
-He can still wear newborn clothes. 0-3 fit well and 3 Months are okay, it depends on the style
-Everyone at daycare says he's the most stylish, well-dressed baby there (which is true). I told him that his aunt spoils him with cool clothes

Feeding:
-I'll nurse him when he wakes up and make sure he's eaten right before we leave the house.
-At daycare, he'll take 3 5 oz bottles throughout the day and then potentially a smaller one right before I pick him up to hold him over for the drive home. At bedtime, it varies on his level of exhaustion. He'll nurse and then if he's still awake we'll give him a bottle which he never finishes. -He rarely wakes up at night for a feeding, but when he does it's around 2am and I nurse him and put him back in his crib

Misc:

-His eyes are still blue but sometimes look a bit gray/hazel

-Weighs 10 lbs 3 oz as of June 11th

-He got his first shots on May 31st

-When he cries, it's very hard and loud. He definitely has lungs and knows how to use them

Mid-day Check-in

Today is Day four at daycare and so far so good. Well at least from Alexander's perspective.

I dropped him off this morning after a fairly good car ride (not a lot of crying). I made sure to take him out of his carseat before they did so I could give him a hug & a kiss before I left. He was very content, so I left before I cried as I could feel my voice crack saying goodbye.

This morning dragged at work, but I was actually doing some work and catching up on things & people. My aunt stopped by to see how I was doing and she happened to stop by at a time when I was already a bit weepy so when she asked how I was holding up, I cried at my desk. But I fully expected that to happen and I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner.

Since I was a bit down, I decided that I would go visit him during lunch. I got there at the end of a bottle so I was able to finish feeding him which made me much more relaxed. Then I played with him for another 10 minutes but he looked sleepy so I didn't try to bounce him around too much.

I put him under the Sesame Street and headed back to work. Let's see how the afternoon goes

Daycare: Day Three

The first full day of daycare is done & over with. Alexander did wonderful. Everyone keeps commenting how beautiful he is and what a good baby he is. Everything we already knew. However, I did tell them to watch out for his afternoon fussiness, then they'll see all sides of him.

Well, the kid knows how to make me look silly because he wasn't fussy at all this afternoon. In fact, he played with his Sesame Street people again. He even took a 3 hour nap in the morning. Are we sure this is our kid??? I may have to tattoo him to give him a 'birthmark' to make sure they're not swapping out kids. I JEST!!!

But in all seriousness, as much as I don't want to be working, I have to say that daycare is a very nice place and the people are very sweet and taking good care of Alexander. They love having him there and it's evident. Plus, he's the cutest baby there! There is one cute little girl but the other babies don't even come close to the level of Alexander's cuteness. Hell, one baby is nick-named "Virginia Ham" by her parents because she eats all the time and the huge melon of a head doesn't help.

My first day back was very weird. I walked up the stairs as if it was a brand new job at a new place that I didn't really want to work at but I said yes anyway. You would never know that I've been there for 7 years. I was so disoriented, I almost forgot how I get to my office. And when I got there, I didn't know what to do first. My team was very sweet, asking me how I was and that they were going to throw me back into the thick of things to help take my mind off things. They even got me a card & a cake to welcome me back. I got good peeps. However, everyone else would ask me how sad I was and how I probably didn't want to be there so it made it that much harder because I'd answer them truthfully.

I only cried a few times, a lot less than I thought I would. And no one saw. I also used our 'nursing' room for the first time when I went to go pump. So much for privacy because some woman just walked right in to pick up stuff she left there earlier. Oh joy. I also didn't go visit him at lunch because then I knew I would just go straight home with him. But overall, I felt miserable & empty all day even though I kept trying to think of something else.

The best part of my day was walking into daycare to pick him up. I couldn't get him out of the swing he was in fast enough. Then we headed home, had ourselves a bath for some quality swim time, and off to bed. I'm hoping since we started bedtime a bit later due to the bath, he may sleep longer. Fingers crossed.

Day Four tomorrow. I hope not to do a daycare update everyday, maybe through this week, because that will just keep reminding me that I'm working vs not being with him. My boss is out tomorrow & Friday but he was very cool & understanding. He told me that if I needed to leave early or take a 2nd lunch over the next few weeks to not even worry about it. So we'll see how it goes.

Mom, thanks for sending me the pretty flowers to help me get through the day. It was very thoughtful!

Daycare: Day Two

I've survived Day Two of Daycare. For some reason, today was much harder a) than yesterday and b) than I expected.

I dropped him off and as I was putting away his bottles Miss Linda was taking him out of his carseat and getting ready to feed him. Well okay then. Guess she helped make a decision for me as to whether or not I would stay around for a bit, I couldn't bare to watch her feed him again. So I decided to go finish my errands that I needed to finish since I will no longer have the days to myself.

I headed to the post office to mail out the invitations for his christening and then I went next door and opened up a Savings Account for Alexander. We still plan on opening a 529 for him and maybe even a real account with ING for him (higher interest), but I wanted him to have his own bank account where he could "see & touch" his money via a passbook rather than online. I remember thinking how cool it was when I was a kid. Then it was off to Kohl's for a return before heading into Boston to meet my parents for lunch.

While at Kohl's I was starting to crash mentally. I couldn't stop thinking of Alexander and how I missed just making him smile. I was hoping he was napping so I wouldn't be missing much. I was now debating going to lunch or going to pick him up because I didn't know how much more I wanted to do this. But I told myself that it would be a good thing to go to lunch. It would be a nice distraction hanging with my parents & being in Boston would be a plus. Not only that it would help kill time before I would go get him.

I'm glad I went because it was nice to hang out with my parents and it was an upbeat lunch so I didn't cry as I was afraid I would. Plus, I got to drive around a neighborhood I have never seen and I fell in love. Big, old houses with an amazing view of the skyline....ahhhh, if only we had that kind of money. (If only - I wouldn't be posting about daycare)

Then I headed back towards daycare and decided to fill out my journal before going to get him to give enough time for a feeding. I got to daycare at almost 2:30 and he was just finishing a bottle. And Miss Linda informed me that he had a visitor during lunchtime. Daddy came to visit him. Isn't that sweet?? Unfortunately for daddy, Alexander was napping. But yah that Alexander was napping!!

Alexander had a great day at daycare again. Miss Linda loves him. He took two naps for almost 3 hours total. He's still feeding around every 2 1/2 hours, but they said he was very content today and played again with his Sesame Street friends.

I think tomorrow will be the true test seeing as how it'll be the whole day and I don't have the thought in my head that I can go get him anytime like I did today and yesterday. Not only that, I know I'll talk about him all day with people at work, so I'm hoping that won't make me miss him more.

Let's hope there are less tears on day three...

Daycare: Day One

Day one has come & gone. That has to have been the hardest thing, by far, I've ever had to do. I've been told it gets easier and I really hope it's true because I don't think I can do this every day.

It started last night when I was trying to make up bottles. I couldn't bring myself to make them up. Everytime I would start with the first one, I would break down crying. I'm sure this sounds severe & almost crazy as millions of people put their babies in daycare every day. But when you've wanted something so much for 25 years (being a full time mom), it's hard to give that up after only 12 weeks. It pains me knowing that I won't spend the majority of the time with Alexander but people at work. But as Dan put it to try to ease my mind, I have to look at this as if it were school and something he has to do rather than 'daycare'.

Finally, I got the bottles made but I kept putting off going to bed. If I didn't go to sleep then Monday morning wouldn't come. Clearly I was lacking logic. We had a good night where Alexander slept for 7 hours, woke up to nurse & fell back to sleep. Sidenote: I do have to say that for a child that would not sleep the first 10 weeks of his life except in our bed - he's done exceptionally well in his crib.

Dan helped get things ready this morning to help make things easier. We were ready to go by 7:20am. As I was driving to daycare, I was listening to a local radio station who was a segment called "Right Now" where they ask callers to call in to tell them what's going on right now. I decided what the heck...I called up & surprisingly got thru! I told Matty & Billy that I was bringing my newborn son to daycare for the first time. They made a few comments about the baby being sick from now on and that he will have ear infections weekly. They also tried to make a few cheap shots at my husband. I wasn't on long but long enough to take my mind off of the what I was doing because now I was thinking about what jokes Matty & Billy were making.

We got to daycare where Dan met us there. Everyone who saw him raved about how adorable he was and they were surprised at how alert he was. We walked back to the infant room to meet the ladies & his new friends at school. We got set up with his different totes for clothes, blankets, diapers, bottles, food, etc. We put a sheet on his crib & I was happy that he did not get the crib in front of the clown painted on the wall.

I was going to stay today to help everyone get to know Alexander. But the fact that I couldn't do anything with Alexander because they wanted to learn his actions & cues, was worse than putting him in daycare. I was going to change his diaper but they wouldn't let me, they wanted to. But the thing that did me in was watching the lady feed him. UGHHHH. At that point, I decided that I couldn't sit there and watch other people hold, feed, & play with him. It was making me cry. I left daycare @ 10am and told them that I would be back later on so that he could get adjusted. I couldn't take it but I didn't tell them that, in fact I wonder what they thought because I just sat there with a grin on my face (fake obviously to help keep me composed). When I got to my car, I cried. I think I cried for 20 mins before I was able to call Dan.

I ran errands for 4 hours and at that point, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to go back and get him. I did plan it a little in my timing. I wanted to make sure he would have eaten so I wouldn't be picking him up and driving the poor little guy home hungry. Sure enough that when I got there, he was finishing up a bottle.

The ladies said that he did exceptionally well and that everyone loves him - of course! A few girls from other rooms came over to take a peak at him because they heard that the new baby is SO CUTE. He took a nap in his crib for over an hour and he was playing with some Sesame Street toys that had him laughing up a storm. So again, Alexander did better than Mommy did at his first day. But I don't think that's a surprise to anyone.

I was so much happier when I put him in my car knowing that we were going home. We came home, had something to eat and took a walk. Some needed quality time.

Tomorrow may be just as tough. I'll drop him off in the morning, and then come get him at some point. I'm not sure what time I'll make it to so we'll just have to wait & see. Wednesday's the full test since he'll be there all day and they'll get to witness his afternoon fussiness.

I'm just hoping that I don't break down again after leaving him there because that was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. And hopefully it does get easier so I sound less like a crazed lunatic not willing to ever part with my child, even when he goes to college.

D-Day...

Today's the day... today's the day that Alexander goes to daycare for the first time. Mommy has had hives since Saturday morning, but who's counting!

Monday will be a visitation day where I'll be there with him for the day. It'll help me, Alexander & the ladies at the daycare get accustomed to everyone. I'll be able to tell them about Alexander and show them his different cues. And they'll be able to try to calm my nerves and that they'll take good care of my son.

Tuesday will be less involvement from me. I'll drop him off as if it would be a 'real' day but I won't stay away all day. I think what I'll do is mail the invitations for his christening, open a savings account for him, go to lunch with my parents and potentially a pedicure if I'm up for it because they told me to give them enough time with him.

Then Wednesday is the real deal. I'll drop him off and then head to work. Of course I have two meetings first thing in the morning (a team meeting & a meeting with my boss) but they're laid-back if anything comes up. Everyone says that I'll be fine and that I'll get through this. I'm not completely sure I will because, this sucks! I have a lump in my throat right now... I hate to see how I'll be Tuesday & Wednesday mornings.

I know people do this everyday but I don't, so just keep your fingers crossed for me.

Father's Day

Today was Dan's first Father's Day and it was a very nice, lowkey day. My parents & Alyson came over for a mini-BBQ and to hang out with Alexander.

We even had some ice cream cake which Alexander really had his eye on.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there!

We also had a giggle fest where he wouldn't stop smiling & laughing. It was the most precious moment. The kind where you want to freeze time.

I dare you to find me a cuter baby - look at his smile and find me a cuter baby! :)

Week Twelve: At a Glance

A look back at Week Twelve (June 11th through June 17th, 2007) along with some pictures of the week

• Got a mysterious mark on his left foot that disappeared. I'm thinking it was a bruise from one of his kicking-sessions.




• Went to visit Dr. M on Monday and learned that he gained almost a full pound in 2 weeks (He weighs 10 lbs 3 oz)




• Worked on our trial run the whole week that Dr. M suggested to figure out his feeding habits & schedule - still a bit overwhelming as there are some patterns but nothing concrete. Guess we'll have to see what Dr. M says.




• Put him down for a nap and let him "cry it out" for the first time and continued it throughout the week, which was good because he took more naps.




• Still continues to sleep in his crib and will now go back in if he wakes up for a feeding.




• Slept through the night on Tuesday (June 12th) from 7:30 pm to 5am




• Daddy's First Father's Day where we had a lowkey, yet relaxing BBQ with Grampie, Grammie & Alyson.




• Grammie picked up his birth certificate which looks nothing like what they used to (less formal)




• Alyson came to visit three times this week & we went to the Candy Mansion which is a Mansion but really not filled to the brim with candy. Alyson was severely disappointed.




• Went for a walk with Daddy and even tackled the BIG hill and made it up to the Center. Way to go Daddy!!!




• Alyson babysat Alexander while Mommy got a haircut




• We got our first pair of galooshes (so cute!)

Bittersweet...

Twelve weeks already... time is not standing still as I hoped it would. Twelve Weeks is a bittersweet time frame for me.

*At Twelve Weeks, my little boy is no longer considered a newborn but an infant or baby.

*At Twelve Weeks, my little guy is going to start doing all sorts of new & wonderful things.

*At Twelve Weeks, my little baby-cake will continue to be the most amazing creature.

*At the end of twelve weeks, my child will have to go to daycare.

The thought alone gives me hives. I know I have to suck it up and deal with this, but I really don't want to. I know he's going but I don't have to like it. I know we both need to work, but I don't have to like this either. The thought of someone else watching my child and experiencing more 'firsts' with him breaks my heart. I actually got mad today when I thought that some woman named Linda would be changing his diaper. Linda is probably a very nice woman, but she's going to be hogging my time and I don't have to like it. Again, I have to deal with it, but I don't have to like it. And I have a feeling I won't like it one bit.

What a Day...

Today was a pretty eventful day.

First, Alexander slept pretty well in his crib last night. He slept from 8p to 1:30am and then after nursing on one side, Mommy & Alexander fell back asleep. Once I woke up, I nursed him on the other side which I'm surprised he stayed awake for because he was in that sleepy zone. Then, I put him back into his crib to see what he would do and he stayed there without much fuss. So he slept in there from 3a-6:30am! And he may have slept longer but I heard him make noises so I went to get him because I was still half-asleep.

Then we got out of bed after a small catnap & nursing @ 8:30am. We finished 'breakfast' downstairs with Dragon Tales and Clifford. A bit later on, I noticed that Alexander was rubbing his eyes, and really didn't seem into nursing or much of anything else. So I decided to go for it.

What you ask is "it"? Well, putting him down for a nap and letting him cry to sleep. I rocked him a bit in the rocking chair and he was in fact tired, as he closed his eyes. So I moved him to his crib, crossed my fingers, and stepped back.

At first, he didn't make that much of a peep and I thought it was too easy. I went downstairs and turned on the monitor. Then all Hell broke loose. He started to cry. I stood at the bottom of the stairs. He started to cry harder. I shifted at the bottom of the stairs. He started to wail and produce his ear-piercing cries. I went upstairs and stood outside his door. He would cry very hard and then whimper. This continued for 8-10 minutes. And for the last 4 minutes, my eyes were welling up. I felt so bad as a Mommy - what was I doing to this poor child? However, I knew nothing was wrong. So I didn't go get him. I let him cry it out and he did.

Finally, he stopped crying so I went into his room and, low & behold, he was asleep. I felt such a sense of accomplishment seeing as how we knew we had to bite the bullet and do it sooner or later. It was exactly what the little guy needed - some sleep and he needs to learn to put himself to sleep, so it's one step in that direction.

I figured while he was asleep I'd make a few phone calls. First I called town hall where he was born to see if his birth certificate was there. Then I called his doctor (story in next post), and lastly daycare to get ready for next week.

He slept for almost three hours which is fantastic. He woke up, nursed, and then it was time to go to see Dr. M. He was in such a good mood ever since he woke up from his nap, but once we started to head home - the cries started. He couldn't be hungry already - he just ate 2 1/2 hours ago. But alas, he was. He sucked down a bottle. When we got home, he pretty much stayed fussy but I didn't want to put him down for a nap at 4:30pm because then it would mess up bedtime. It was getting closer to bedtime and seeing as how he was extra fussy, we started bedtime earlier than usual tonight. I knew he was tired because he would stop eating and close his eyes. But he was extra fussy during this feeding which is unlike him. He usually eats no problem until he's full. So once I knew I wasn't getting more milk in him, I decided to put him down in his crib and see what happens. Same as earlier. He was fine for a moment or two and then *bam* CRIES!

Although the crying was louder and more painful for me to listen to, thankfully it was shorter. Only 4 minutes. Hopefully, he learns sleeping sooner rather than later, because I hate to listen to my little guy miserable. Another step in the sleep direction - fingers crossed that it continues.

Doctor Appointment

I called Dr. M this morning for two reasons. One I wanted to get his take on Alexander's feeding schedule and what we should be feeding him once he goes into daycare next week because I'm nursing and giving him bottles randomly throughout the day, it's hard to know how much he takes per feeding. And the second reason is that I noticed a red mark/imprint on the bottom of his foot yesterday and I didn't know what it was.

The red mark came out of nowhere. We woke up yesterday morning and all was well. Alexander was in a good mood and nursing on schedule. We took a bath in the morning and I got him dressed. He was cuddled up on me as I was sitting on the chair. I noticed he was so quiet and the little guy was tuckered out from the bath and was napping. ahhhh.

He woke up a bit later on and I noticed there was a mark on his foot. I thought that it was an imprint from my clothing or my rings because it didn't hurt him when I touched it. I looked at it about an hour later and it was still there. I figured I'd keep an eye on it and see if it goes away later on and since it wasn't hurting him I wasn't going to rush to the ER on a Sunday. (We don't do Emergency Rooms on Sundays - it's a long story) I told Dan that if it was still there in the morning, I'd call the doctor.

We woke up this morning and the first thing I did was check his foot and the mark was still there. It still didn't appear to hurt him but I still wanted to call the doctor. I spoke to Dr. M's wife (who's an RN & works with him) and we talked about his feeding, etc and she said it would be great if I could come in today because Dr M should take a look at his foot.

Dr. M has no idea what the mark is on his foot but is not that concerned about it. He wants to keep an eye on it to see if it goes down or away. We're not sure what it is, but I'm glad Dr. M saw the mark and he's not concerned. We'll just keep our eyes on it.

Then we talked about the feedings etc. Honestly, the whole thing is confusing and very overwhelming because as a Mom you want to make sure you're giving your child everything they need and there are so many options that we spoke about. One's thing for sure is that Alexander is definitely getting plenty of food right now - whether it's breastmilk or the formula because Dr. M weighed him again and he gained almost a full pound in almost 2 weeks! He's now 10 lbs 3 oz, which puts him in the 5th percentile so he's still little for his age.

I told Dr. M that I want to make sure Alexander's getting enough to eat but I don't want to overfeed him as I don't want him to be a porker. And if he's gained almost a pound in 2 weeks, the little guy needs to slow down or he won't be so little anymore.

We're going to try an experiment for the next 24 hours to see what patterns surface and then make some decisions from there

Week Eleven

Here's a look back at Week Eleven (June 4th through June 10th), & some of my favorite pictures from the week.

• Fitting into 0-3 or 3 Months clothes much better of which Auntie Alyson supplied him with the coolest clothes for summer - he's a lucky little boy to have her as a godmother!
• His christening has been confirmed for August 4th @ my church!
• Bedtime was going well and we switched from his Pack & Play to his crib beginning on Tuesday
• He wouldn't sleep the entire night in his crib nor would he sleep through the night, just yet.
• His longest stretch of sleeping was Tuesday night - 9:30pm to 3:30am (first night in crib)
• Still wakes up around 5-5:30am.
• During the random times he falls asleep during the day, he cries very hard as if he's having a bad dream and still is sleeping, but doesn't do this when he wakes up at night or first hing in the morning

• Went with Daddy for a walk in my snugli & liked being in there
• Rolled over twice (tummy to back) and will crawl when he's on his tummy if you put your hands to his feet as a "wall"
  

  

• Auntie Alyson came over & we went shopping to which Alyson got to witness his 'freak-out' moments.
• Had his first real "ouch" moment at home when Mommy was clipping his nails and got a bit of skin. That hurt me just as much - I felt so bad!
• Still loves bathtime and loves being in the water. I can't wait until he's big enough to play with bath toys.
• Ran errands with Mommy & went for a 2 mile walk

• Oscar & Elmo from Sesame Street make Alexander laugh
• Had a good giggle after rolling over which made his body shake along with him
• Still loves to eat & would eat all day if you let him
• Is getting a much better sense of his hands and puts them in his mouth
• Not a big fan of his binky anymore
• Starting to grab onto objects (blankets) and has a good hold
• Noticed his feet for the first time

Put on his NY Yankees pjs for Daddy and for Aunt Kathy who spent her money on them. This was ONLY for Daddy and not something Mommy will do often.

A Day in the Life...

A Day in the Life

As anyone who knows me, they know I take an obscene amount of pictures. So there's no surprising anyone that I would continue the tradition on with my child. I sent out an email recently with the Daily Picture Slideshow to show how Alexander changes over time.

I figured I would post the link here in case any of you have lost the email - you can check it from this link because I will continue to add pictures to the album for each day. Now don't yell at me if I don't add them each day because I haven't figured out how life will be once I go back to work, but I will do my best.

Enjoy, I know I do.

All in a Baby Day...

We are now going on the 5th night in a row of Alexander sleeping in his crib! It's just such a nice feeling. It would be an even better feeling if after he wakes up for his nighttime feeding that he would go back to sleep in his crib. Doesn't he look so little in his crib?

Actually, it would be a fantastic feeling if he would sleep through the night!

Last night, Alexander was exhausted after a day of errands with Mommy & Auntie Alyson. He went to sleep @ 6p, but only to wake up at 10:30pm. He fell asleep in his crib for another hour, but then he was done. He wanted no part of his crib. In fact, all he wanted to do was nurse. Made for a long evening.

Today the weather has been rainy & chilly all day so it's made for a drab day. I think that's affected Alexander because he was a fuss-budget ALL day. Daddy is away kayaking/fishing so it was a Mommy & Alexander day. It made it a bit difficult to do anything because Alexander's attention span was 10 minutes max on anything.

However on a happy note, this morning Alexander rolled over (tummy to back) twice! I put him on his tummy and he immediately grabbed the blanket and rolled over. I put him on his tummy again and he did it again. And after the second time, he was all giggles. The kind of giggles that were loud and had his body was moving. It was absolutely adorable.

I tried to press my luck and go for a third time. He wanted no part of rolling over. This time, he would grab the blanket and inch his way forward. I put my hands against his feet for support and he was a rocket across the floor! Once he actually figures out how to crawl - we're in trouble!

While he's sleeping, I'm not going to press my luck again - I'm going to take a shower!

Eleven Weeks...

Wow, time really does fly. I can't believe that Eleven weeks today Alexander was born. It really feels like he's still only two weeks old. However, he certainly feels bigger than he did when he was two weeks old.

We had some quiet time today before our afternoon nap. He took a nearly 3 hour nap this afternoon. Probably the longest nap he's taken in weeks!

Milestone Week...

We've achieved two more "milestones" this week. Okay, they're not the tried & true milestones but they're things we've tried in the past with no success but they worked this week.

The first, and most important one, is that Alexander has now slept in his crib two nights in a row!! WHOOO HOOO! Previously, Alexander has been going to bed either in his bassinet, with Mommy & Daddy and most recently & effectively in his pack & play. However, we tried starting bedtime upstairs and putting him down in his crib. And it worked! Tuesday night he slept for 6 hours, and then last night he was down for 4 hours before he woke up.

We're still working & hoping for the all-nighter but for the meantime, at least he's in his crib and he will sleep there!

Then the other item is that he went into the snugli with Daddy and didn't mind it. He went for a small walk with Daddy and just enjoyed looking around and drooling all over the snugli! He went to visit our neighbor in it yesterday who thinks he's adorable!

This second picture is to show his love for blowing bubbles - which he does all the time!

Week Ten: At A Glance

Here's a look back at Week Ten (May 28th through June 3rd), along with some of my favorite pictures from the week. And for the record, I did not pose him in the first picture. I propped him up and he was moving around and he put his hand under his chin.

*Rolled over for the first time by himself

*Two Month Check-up complete with shots (9 lbs 5 oz; 22 1/2"). Alexander & Daddy did better than Mommy with the shots

*Had his first fever Friday night (low grade - 100.8*) so we gave him Infant Tylenol for the first time which worked well and thankfully he liked it.

*Bedtime routine getting better where he's been sleeping in the pack & play at night from Tuesday - Saturday. Friday night he slept a six-hour stretch!

*Sat in his bumpo seat for the first time

*Got to visit a whole bunch of family this week (Alyson, Grammie, Grampie, Grandma, Grandpa, Nana, Papa, Sue, Cissy, BL, Pitsy, Arlene, & Casey)

*Afternoon fussiness still continues even if he takes a nap.

*Took a nap both Thursday& Friday afternoons

*Went for a 3-mile walk with Mommy

*Sucks on his fingers/hands when he's lying down in the pack & play

*Went for a car ride almost every night with Daddy to help calm him down

*Loves to smile and blow bubbles

*He's starting to make 'razz' sounds and finally figured it out Sunday afternoon

*Loves bathtime. For each bath he took this week, he didn't cry once and loves being moved around in the water.